Mr. Speaker, today you heard my Member’s statement about the ferry service in Fort Simpson. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transportation did attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Fort Simpson regarding this issue on May 12th. I thank him for attending that and speaking on behalf of the government. The next day, on May 13th, I sent the Minister a question and asked has the department done a cost analysis of operating the ferry service for those extra two hours. The response I received today was: “the Department of Transportation acknowledges a question received from the Chamber of Commerce to extend the operation hours of the M.V. Lafferty Ferry. However, due to the current fiscal reality, the department is unable to provide the two-hour extension. The Department of Transportation will continue to work with the community to optimize the ferry hours while recognizing the existing fiscal conditions affecting all of the government, GNWT.” Unfortunately, he did not answer my question. Therefore, can the Minister please tell the House if a cost analysis was done on this request, and if it was, when? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for his question on the ferry hours and the opportunity to meet with the Chamber in Fort Simpson. To my knowledge, to date we haven't done a complete cost analysis on the ferry for extending it by two hours for this particular. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for this answer. However, then, how can the Minister come out and say that due to fiscal restraint or fiscal responsibility we can't do anything without a study being done? Thank you. Can you please explain that?
As the Member alluded to, how can we do a cost analysis? We are presently, I believe, undertaking this under his request. We haven't totally finished it to date. But the reality of the fiscal situation we are in, if we were to extend the ferry hours for the M.V. Lafferty in Fort Simpson, we would probably have to look at doing this for all other ferry systems within the Northwest Territories. Any solution that we would come towards with the community of Fort Simpson would have to probably be extended to other communities across the Northwest Territories. I must remind the Member that any solution that we work out with the communities needs to be within the fiscal realities and the regular territory framework of the Government of the Northwest Territories.
I again thank the Minister for his answer. I am a little confused with the responses that I got in my e-mail and today. It is a little bit different. Can the Minister please provide me with a historical cost to operate all the ferries of the NWT for the past three years including any over time?
Yes. We can provide that to the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. I look forward to getting that information. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister have his department look into the feasibility of moving the ferry landing further up the yard to get away from the low squats at the current location and alternatives such as a floating bridge or causeway using the island further up the river as part of their strategic plan? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
As the Member knows, we have a 25-year strategic transportation strategy, and we look at all aspects of transportation across the Northwest Territories. I don't believe that this particular request is in there. But we can certainly have a quick study on it. One thing about moving that would be looking at realigning the highway and other things as such to doing that, which would be a great capital cost to the Government of the Northwest Territories, but I can talk to the department about it and get back to the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
