Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I travelled back home this past week and drove back home, I couldn’t help but notice, you know, the amount of dust on our Dempster Highway. Mr. Speaker, usually about this time the department starts preparing to put down calcium on the roads and you know have dust control, Mr. Speaker. Many times it gets very dangerous on the highway especially when you’re passing tractor trailers or equipment like this. Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to ask the Minister of Transportation, when will the crews start putting calcium down on the Dempster Highway? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is well aware, I guess this time of year is our routine maintenance and the crews are getting out there and doing all the routine stuff that’s done in the springtime from culvert thawing to, you know, straightening the signs and other stuff. I suspect that the department will be doing the application of calcium in the short order that is coming up here. You know road safety is the number one importance to us, so I can double check on that and get back to the Member exactly when it will be. Just putting that out. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, you know talking to a number of equipment operators, you know, especially when they first starting putting this application down, you know, when the calcium is laid down it’s always best to grade the road at the same time that way it soaks right into the road ‘because if you just lay it over the top, you know once we get a large amount of rain it usually runs off. Will the Minister ensure that when the crews do work on the highway that that is practiced? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’ll have to check with the department if that’s exactly how we apply this and grade the roads at the same time, but if that is the case we will ensure that’s how it’s done.
Mr. Speaker, you know the department is doing a great job. I see a lot of resurfacing on the Dempster Highway over the last couple of weeks here. You know, I’d just like to ask the Minister, will the Minister ensure that the calcium is laid down by the end of session here?
I’m not sure if I could commit to have that done by end of session. I’ll have to check with the department and see when we will be applying that.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
