Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my Member's statement, I have some questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister: can the Minister describe the criteria that the department uses to assess whether or not the Abraham Francis Ferry will operate? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ferry operations are dependent mainly on water levels. Water levels can be too high to make it safe; water levels can be too low to make it safe. That is the main criteria of operating the ferry, to get vehicles and people across it safely. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
This most recent disruption lasted for six days, with many people waiting day to day. How does the department communicate service disruptions or provide advance warning of possible service disruptions to Northerners and visitors?
The Department of Infrastructure uses a few significant ways. We have Facebook. We use Twitter. We do press releases. We have our superintendents in the region who convey those types of messages. That is mostly how we get it out to the public. A lot of these things happen on very short notice, and we try to do our best to get the information out there.
I thank the Minister for his reply, but I think the department does need to do a better job. Will the Minister ensure that, in the future, when this ferry is closed, they will work with the community? They have CBQM, which is well known throughout the territory. They give constant updates, you know, as people go on the radio. During the weekends, nobody is updating the ferry situation. Will the Minister and the department ensure they work with the communities in the future?
Duly noted from the Member's suggestions. We can look into those sorts of things. I think one of the other things that maybe we can start looking into is similar to what we did in Hay River with the crosswalk situation. We had the digital signs posted on the highway, and we tried to relay as much information that way as well before people leave the communities.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, how often is a refresher or professional development training made available to the marine division, who makes the call to operate or to shut down the operations of our ferries? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do not have that type of detailed information. I can get it for the Member, but I am pretty sure that the ferry captains have to be certified every year to make sure that their ticket is up to snuff, but I will get that information to the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
