Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These questions are for the Premier. They are easy ones.
Laughter
Can the Premier confirm the hours and what days the border crossing on Highway No. 7 is open?
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Honourable Premier.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, I thought that was going to be easy but it's not quite as easy as I thought. I'd have to get back to the Member and find out the exact hours of operation, because we have three border crossings so I'm not a hundred percent sure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do know you can leave any time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know there's limited hours at that crossing. So when can we see those or when can we expect that the hours would be increased so that they're open you know, it's opened seven days a week for however many hours a day? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The determination of when borders open and when we'll need enforcement is a determination made by the CPHO. However, I can say that the CPHO has been vocal in saying that we're suspecting that by spring that we will be calling off the public health emergency and if do that, then there will be no border patrols. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now for the million dollar question. We have businesses in the southern NWT working further north, and they're travelling back and forth in, you know, through BC or the Yukon and working up north and then coming back. And they're finding it costly to go through Grande Prairie and come around. And you know, they have an idea of when they're leaving the they know when they're leaving the North to come back this way, and they would like to have access to that border to come through, through back into either whether it's Hay River, Yellowknife, or Simpson. So I'm wondering if there's any way that those hours or they can be accommodated and supported so they don't have to make that extra trip and live with those extra costs? And some of them even said, you know, if there was a little cost to have the person go out there and open the gate, they'd be willing to pay for it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do know that the community was very concerned about COVID, and so I do know that once we reach a certain population that we opened it up a little bit more. But people businesses do have to reach out and let us know when they're coming. So we're trying to work with them as much as possible but we're also trying to make sure that communities are safe. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Final supplementary, Member for Hay River South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, during the winters you'll usually see work on the pipelines, and I'm not sure if there's going to be any work this winter but I suspect there will be, and there's equipment, you know, coming in from the South and, you know, some of it comes around through Highway No. 1 while other equipment and goods come through Highway No. 7. So has Premier has the department I guess, or the secretariat, looked at how they could support that by, you know, extending those hours at that border crossing when there's a large movement of traffic coming north? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Actually, the border open was specifically made to address the needs of truckers coming into the communities, needing to drop off supplies, etcetera. So that's been taken into account. Most of the trucking companies, speaking of almost two years, are well aware of the times of operation. If there's anyone that is not, they are required if they're an occasional user, they are required to file a selfisolation plan and therefore hopefully will identify what they need and we can get back to them on that. But if anyone has issues and can't access it and can't get information, let me know because we're here to help. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Honourable Premier. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.
