Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member's statement, my question is to the Minister of Infrastructure on the Marine Transportation Service Company, a division of our government. My first question, Mr. Speaker, is: how is the 2019 summer sailing season looking right now on targets of supplying the customers along the route, particularly and mainly the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 2019 sailing season is actually on schedule right now as we predicted going forward, even with the low water levels that have been on the Mackenzie River. We have already been to every community once. Presently, two tugs are northbound out of Hay River. They are going to be going to Norman Wells, Tulita, and Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. From Tuktoyaktuk, there is also going to be another tow going north to look after the Arctic communities. When we are finished that, if sailing allows, we are going to help with the North Warning defence system to do their deliveries. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister for that reply. It is comforting to know that progress is being maintained in the schedule. Having experience on my boat ride between the communities, as mentioned, of Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope, the low-water levels, are these low-water levels creating any delays and challenges to the shipping schedules?
Historically, the rivers are at a 10-year low right now from the last time I got an update from our staff. The one thing that MTS did this year was factor in the possibility of that. The way we operated this year is we adjusted our loads for shallower draft. The low-water levels on the Mackenzie River haven't hampered our schedule. The other nice thing was, I have talked about it in this House, with the Steam River bridge that was on fire and the fuel company picked up the slack and delivered the fuel to Hay River by truck. It actually got there earlier than anticipated, so that helped assist with the schedule.
Thanks to the Minister for the fuel information there. Our public infrastructure depends on that fuel resupply. My next question is on the training provided on the Marine Training Centre in Hay River. Can the Minister elaborate or brief us on the training plan and student outcomes and how progress is being made from that institution?
The Marine Training Centre doesn't follow under the Government of the Northwest Territories, but they are leasing space from us in our facility in Hay River. The Member from the Sahtu and myself actually had a chance. I took him there and gave him a little tour of the facility, met a number of students who are there.
I have said earlier in my Minister's statement around Marine Transportation Services they have delivered hundreds of courses through there. A number of people have been picked up by MTS for employment this year, as well as Canadian Coast Guard that also picked up some people. As I said, I think, yesterday, some of them are actually going to be going up to the Arctic coast with the Coast Guard on ice-breaking facilities.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
