Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past fall was the first time the Department of Transportation extended the ferry service in Tsiigehtchic. I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation, when will the work begin to repair the Louis Cardinal ferry for service in June? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mr. Speaker, I have talked to the department and the ferry will be ready to go when it’s in the water. It will be fully repaired and fully functional. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ask the Minister, what was the estimated cost of damages to the vessel this fall? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. We have not completed a complete evaluation and cost estimate on the damage that may have been incurred by the Louis Cardinal ferry during the time we were attempting to continue to run it round season. We did put $400,000 worth of capital into the ferry in order to make it possible to run all season. Thank you.
Will the department also be repairing the Merv Hardie this year? Thank you.
I’m not expecting to put the Merv Hardie into service, so anything that may be done with the Merv Hardie will only be done when we plan to put it into service. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Blake.
Thank you. I recall last year the Minister was saying that the ferry would be ready for replacement if an emergency was to happen, so that ferry should be operational.
I’d like to ask the Minister, will the Minister replace the Louis Cardinal vessel with the Merv Hardie? Thank you.
Thank you. Indications tell us that by evaluating the Merv Hardie versus the Louis Cardinal that there would be no benefits gained by moving the Merv Hardie down river to Tsiigehtchic to that crossing. So at this time there is no plan to replace the Louis Cardinal with the Merv Hardie. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Hawkins.
