Thank you, Mr. Speaker. One practice of this government every year is that we approve infrastructure budgets. When we approve these infrastructure budgets, one thing we have to understand is we are not approving these budgets but creating jobs throughout the North, we are helping build skills and creating opportunities for our residents, our local residents and people in the small communities.
One of those projects that was recently approved and brought to attention – even in the media and in this House over the last few weeks – is the Inuvik-Tuk Highway. When this government approves big infrastructure projects or any other project, one thing we need to understand, as legislators as well as contractors and people who are putting these bids in, is that claims are a normal part of the construction contracts and that the government and the department involved try to resolve these as quickly as possible. Earlier in the week and in the media it was talked about that this project needs to be halted and stopped until further review takes place. Mr. Speaker, no, that can’t happen.
You heard today from some of my colleagues that we need jobs in the communities. We have people who are hungry to get off their butts and get to work. This is exactly what this job is doing with the Inuvik-Tuk Highway.
We just have to look at some of the highlights. At its peak construction period, there were over 600 individuals working on the project. About 75 percent of those were from the Inuvik region and there was also employment from other territorial communities as well. From those, about 120 people benefitted from training opportunities, and this is going to help when we look at other projects such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway. If any other mine or oil and gas companies want to start doing some work, we’re going to have people who are trained to take some of those jobs as well.
About 70 people were trained on the simulator for rock trucks and excavator training, which is also needed, and about 40 people were trained in class 1 and class 3 drivers’ licences with airbrakes. All those are going to help us in the future when we look at the Mackenzie Valley Project and other infrastructure in the Tlicho or towards Nunavut.
I do seek unanimous consent to conclude my Member’s statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Just to finish, we can’t forget about the other future benefits and investment potential that the Inuvik-Tuk Highway is going to produce when we look at our offshore drilling, tourism and reduced cost of living for the communities toward Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik.
Not only that, from a personal level, when you walk around Inuvik and you see the young guys and the young girls working, the family providers, the men who go and work long hours to provide for their families in Tuk and Inuvik and how that benefits them, it’s great to see people who are finally working, a decreased number of people on income assistance, all these benefits. I know in the summertime work is slow. I’ve seen the training opportunities that have been provided to some of these people who are working on this project going down south and getting further training, so they get higher level jobs in the project.
With that said, Mr. Speaker, I do support the continued work for the Inuvik-Tuk Highway and all the benefits it presents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
