Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member’s statement, I have questions for the Minister of Transportation. I'd like to ask the Minister: Will the Minister ensure the department will provide adequate funds to complete the final stage of our Willow River Bridge in Aklavik? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Transportation has advised the Hamlet of Aklavik that the bridge project has exceeded the funding capacity of the Community Access Program. It has been recommended that the Hamlet of Aklavik look into other alternatives of funding for this project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I realize the funds have run out for the Community Access Program for this year, but in the next budget, which starts in April, will the Minister assure the community that funds will be available through the Community Access Program to complete this project?
The Community Access Program is not included in the appropriation funds for the first part of this fiscal year because there's no eligible expenses for applicants for work in this period of time. We'll have to talk about it in business planning.
I realize the Minister is new to this position and he doesn't realize that to do the work that's needed has to be done with three weeks in April, that's in our new budget. Otherwise, it'll have to wait until next February or March to even start this work, which holds this project up by at least a year. That's just not going to work for the community. That's holding this project back. That's even longer the community will have to wait to progress with, whether it’s tourism or... But I'd like to ask the Minister, will the Minister ensure that, through the appropriation, that the Community Access Program is in there, because a lot of these communities depend on these programs.
We have to submit the appropriations to the business plan for the upcoming fiscal year, and we're going to have those timely discussions through business planning.
I can't stress it enough. All three of my communities depend on this Community Access Program, and I just want to emphasize the importance of this program in our small communities. It's more of a comment, but I sure hope that Cabinet could make those adjustments.
I'll take that as a comment. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
