Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement earlier, I have a few questions for the Minister of Transportation. As I mentioned, many times travelling the Dempster Highway, we have whiteout conditions, high-blowing snow, high winds. It's challenging. Many times, travelling the Dempster, there are no delineators along the highway. I’d like to ask the Minister: will the Minister ensure that we begin work on replacing delineators along the Dempster from kilometre 0 to kilometre 30, which has the majority of high winds?
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Reconstruction on the Dempster Highway has been in progress for the last several years, and the department has spent numerous amounts of money on widening and doing significant safety improvements on that section of the highway, but due to last year's excessive rain and poor weather conditions, weather hindered the reconstruction work and also the replacement of the delineators for the snow levels and safety stuff that the Member is talking about. The department will be installing these things in the coming construction season, when weather conditions are favourable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I am sure the Minister will know first-hand the importance of signage and delineators along our highways. Does the Minster know exactly which sections will be worked on this summer? Is it kilometres 0 to 30, as I mentioned, or is it further down the highway?
Additional maintenance work is planned for the complete section from the Dempster to the McPherson-Peel River section. We will be looking at all the signage and delineators as work continues this year on the widening of the highway.
I know the Minister will be up in the region next month, in the middle of the month. Will the Minister be open to travelling the Dempster with me for a trip so he could see for himself the challenges up there?
Time permitting, I would gladly take up the Member's offer to take me out to the Dempster.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
