Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member’s statement earlier, I’d like to ask the Minister of Transportation what training opportunities are available for residents of Aklavik in connection with the Willow River access road and other roadwork going on in the region? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In respect to training opportunities for communities in the Mackenzie Delta, I would expect there would be training opportunities as a result of the Inuvik-Tuk highway.
In regard to the Willow River access road, we still haven’t got the funds earmarked for the Willow River access road. So without any funding for the construction of that road or advancing that road project, there would be no training opportunities. Thank you.
Is the Minister willing to work with the leadership in Aklavik on next steps in the implementation of their feasibility and planning studies? Thank you.
Yes, I would like to, at the earliest opportunity, get a chance to meet with community leaders in regard to the Willow River access road in Aklavik, and going forward we do have to find a way to get some further funding into Willow River access road program. The community can avail itself of accessing the Community Access Road Program that they have in the past. So that opportunity is still available to the community. We’re also hoping with the new Building Canada Plan that communities across the Northwest Territories will have opportunities for additional funding programs to look at programs like the Willow River access road, also communities have access to gas tax funding as well that they could earmark for projects like the access to the Willow River. Thank you.
I’d just like to ask the Minister, will he accept my invitation to visit my riding? Thank you.
Yes, at the earliest opportunity in the schedule, we can work out the schedule, but as soon as my schedule permits, I’d be more than happy to visit the communities in the Mackenzie Delta. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
