Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I gave a statement on the real impacts of the cost of living. Some people suggested that I should be more positive and upbeat in my messages. Well, I want that person to know that his point did not fall on deaf ears, and today, I am happy to commend the Department of Infrastructure for the ongoing progress made on the Ingraham Trail.

Mr. Speaker, roads are the most cost-effective way to bridge the distances that separate residents from their extended families, lands, and resources. That is why the biggest items on our infrastructure to-do list are highways. They are important for mines and jobs, for tourism, and for the people and families.

The Ingraham Trail started off as a dusty old mining trail, but now it is a successful multi-use highway. In the past, it supported our gold mines; now it resupplies our diamond industry, and it is crucial to the exploration that will generate our future prosperity. It is the beginning of the road to the Slave Geological Province after all.

Beyond that, the trail supports important recreational and economic activities. It supports economic diversification, tourism, and access for visitors to the spectacular NWT. It supports some of our agricultural pioneers and commercial enterprises. The trail has parks and campgrounds and hiking trails everywhere, and Mr. Speaker, the trail is home to many full-time residents.

I commend the department for its many improvements to the safety and usability of the road: new guard rails, widened sections and shoulders, extension of paved surfaces are important additions. The reconfiguration and growth of the Prosperous Boat Launch in particular is a great contribution to accessibility and safety. The responses I have heard from users and constituents living on the trail all commend and appreciate these improvements.

There are still some challenges we will have to confront in the coming months and years. How will maintenance needs change as climate warms? How will traffic flow be changed by new resource developments? How will increasing numbers of tourists sharing the road with residents and diamond mines resupply change safety traffic enforcement requirements? These and other questions will need our continued attention.

Mr. Speaker, most important, the Ingraham Trail is an example of a successful multi-purpose transportation corridor that serves not just one but many of the NWT's economic and social needs. We can use it as a model for our territory's future growth. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Speaker: MR. SPEAKER

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.