Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as follow-up to my Member's statement, I have a few questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. As I stated in my statement, Mr. Speaker, we are taking a lot of employment away from the community of Tsiigehtchic, not to mention Fort McPherson. At times, we even hired a number of people from the community there when we didn't have enough. I would like to ask the Minister: why did the department decide to bring in their equipment to be used at the Mackenzie River crossing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have to get back to the Member on what exact piece of equipment, why we brought it in, and why we brought it there. I do know that we have a labour and equipment contract, an as-and-when one with Tsiigehtchic with Arctic Red River Development Corporation. I can look into that matter, what specific piece of equipment the Member is talking about.
I can just answer that right now because I have come from Tsiigehtchic. I know what is there. We have a Sno-Cat, Bombardiers, which I think they brought out of the museum. They are so old, you know, this equipment, that they are barely running. I think that is where all the cost is coming from, is because to find these parts, you know, price must double or triple or something. What cost savings is the department making by using their own equipment compared to past years?
I am going to look into this as the Member has stated. The one thing that people know in this House is we have escalated our time of putting in the snow crossing. The big controversy in this Assembly two years ago was us shutting down the winter road ferry program. When we did that, the department made the commitment that we would put in the crossing as fast as possible, which we have. It is from freeze-up to actually having 5,000 kg capability has been very minimal days now, I believe, less than two weeks for both crossings.
We have involved new technologies and lighter pieces of equipment, which might influence which pieces of equipment that we are actually trying to rent from the Red River Development Corporation. I will work with the Member and get the answers that he wants on these specific questions.
Bringing in this equipment actually didn't save us any time. We actually just finished the ice bridge, like, two weeks ago. If I didn't say anything, they would probably still be working on it now. You know, I know the department is trying to do the best they could, but will the Minister ensure that next year the community is given support to providing employment for their workforce?
As I said, we are putting this thing in as efficiently and as fast as we can. The workforce is contracted out with Little Red River. I will have to see how long that contract is good for and work with the Member to be able to maximize the most employment I can for his particular riding. We have not reduced the capital cost or the budgetary process for putting this road in. We realize the pressure that is on these communities the longer it takes to put in these ice crossings across the Northwest Territories. The Member continually raises it in this Assembly, and we will continually try to work with him and his communities to put it in as fast as possible and work with his communities where they can benefit from these projects that are right in their back door. I will continue to work with the Member.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it sounds promising. You know, in the past, I have even worked on that ice road when I first started working. You know, the workforce they have set up in the community, they work pretty hard all through November until mid-December. Usually, by the 20th, they have everything opened to 50,000 kilograms, which is required, and then they let Mother Nature do her part.
Mr. Speaker, it seems to me the department doesn't seem to support providing labour employment but would rather bring in equipment that actually took longer and at a higher cost. I would like to ask the Minister if this is the case.
No, that is not the case. As I said, we are trying to put this thing as efficiently and as fast as we can for the residents, particularly in his home community. We have made the unprecedented step where we put the Arctic Red River in first now so the community can actually get out of there sooner and cross over to go to McPherson. We can actually pull that, maybe, and put that money towards the main crossing if the Member wants us to spend in his community. That is going to mean that they are going to have to wait a lot longer to get out of there. I have committed in this House that I will work with the Member closely to try to maximize the benefits for his residents and what we can do in next year's winter season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
