Date
August
16
2007
Members Present
ITEM 1: PRAYER
Assembly Members
Debates of August 16, 2007 (day 11)
Topics
Statements
Member’s Statement On Highway No. 3 Maintenance Contact
Jackson Lafferty
Monfwi
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)
Mr. Speaker, this is the third time I have raised the issue. There are two Department of Transportation crews that work on Highway No. 3. The Yellowknife crew is responsible for the section from Yellowknife to just before the Behchoko access road, the junction. The Edzo crew is responsible for the access road to Chan Lake towards Providence.
Mr. Speaker, I asked the current Minister of Transportation in February of this year if he would consider transferring the responsibility for maintaining a section of Highway No. 3 between Boundary Creek and Behchoko access from the Yellowknife crew to the Edzo crew. He replied that all maintenance crews that DOT does have are employed and live in Edzo at this point. But, Mr. Speaker, the Minister was mistaken. I am referring to the Boundary Creek to Behchoko junction road maintenance. The Yellowknife crew currently have responsibility for this section of the road, and we want the Edzo crew to take over the Yellowknife stretch to the Behchoko junction.
Mr. Speaker, it just makes sense that these jobs should be filled by Behchoko residents rather than have workers and equipment from Yellowknife travel as far as 100 kilometres to the access road and extra costs in time and fuel. It is more efficient to use the nearby Edzo crew. As I have said before, maintenance work on the highway is an important source of employment for the community of Behchoko. It should be a government priority to ensure that these jobs are filled by people from local communities whenever possible.
Mr. Speaker, this area is in the Monfwi jurisdiction. The Wekeezhii boundary, the Wekeezhii Land Water Board also is within the boundary that we signed between the GNWT, federal government and Tlicho Government. It is in a settlement area. Our people should have the responsibility for maintenance and the job that goes along with maintaining the stretch of Highway No. 3.
Mr. Speaker, I will have questions for the Department of Transportation at the appropriate time. Mahsi.