Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure or Finance, I'm not sure. It's the same person, so she'll figure it out I'm sure.
On the fibre line, Mr. Speaker, I spoke to, can the Minister tell me if there has been any consideration given to the redundancy beyond Fort Nelson and is it too late, I guess, to relook at that agreement between the GNWT, Yukon government, and NorthwesTel. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an overall good news story here, so I appreciate the questions. I know there are residents and businesses in Inuvik who are really leading the charge in terms of what's happening in our advanced technology industry here in the Northwest Territories, with the satellite array and providing servicing to them. The agreement we have the Yukon ensures that their traffic can use the Mackenzie Valley fibre line in case of need and that our traffic could use the line that comes down the -- or in case of need. I think there is some additional work that's going to happen to increase the redundancy. Now, it may not be under that contract exactly, but I'll take the Member's point on this and make sure that we are continuing to engage with industry to provide them the best services we can. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister. Certainly, that portion of the redundancy is very important to the businesses and the satellite station facility as the Minister alluded to. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, I guess, who is the owner of the fibre line once it's complete, the redundancy line?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Inuvik branch of the line, I would have to confirm. I believe it would be NorthwesTel that continues to maintain ownership of that line. By contrast, of course, we have a P3 partnership on our end on the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I ask that question, of course, because it's my understanding that the federal funding was provided for the Whitehorse to Dawson portion of that line. I'm wondering if that line, then, would be owned by NorthwesTel.
Mr. Speaker, one final question, part of this proposal obviously was having redundancy and fibre into the community of Tuktoyaktuk too along the new Inuvik to Tuk highway. Can the Minister speak to the ongoing work on getting that line in as well? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this project makes good on a promise dating back sometime to when the original Mackenzie Valley Fibre Line was under consideration and under development. That work is advancing and, in fact, is advancing this summer. We did have an opportunity that we were happy to make use of where the folks that were doing the work on the Yukon portion of the line are already mobilized, which will reduce costs for us by utilizing them and utilizing that opportunity to complete that section of fibre up to Tuktoyaktuk, and having had some significant engagement and some support from the IRC in the region, it's their lands ultimately, as I say, that project, my understanding, is that it's underway for this construction season and will be completed, if not this year, then within the next few construction seasons. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Finance. Oral questions. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
