Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS the Mackenzie River Basin has been experiencing drought and low water levels since 2022, which has disrupted the re-supply of communities by barge;
AND WHEREAS the disruption of barging routes has created extraordinary logistical challenges and costs to deliver goods and supplies to impacted communities;
AND WHEREAS communities in the Sahtu region estimate over a collective $14 million in lost or delayed business opportunity, including logistical and shipping expenses as a result of the 2024 cancelled barge;
AND WHEREAS the Mackenzie Valley Highway has been a project under development for decades; it is a 321 kilometre highway of which 14 kilometers have been built to date;
AND WHEREAS the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway will not only unlock the economic potential of the Sahtu, it will also lower the cost of living for residents, connecting the Mackenzie Valley region, and improving transportation to the Arctic Ocean, increasing the Northwest Territories' and Canada's Arctic sovereignty and security;
AND WHEREAS the Government of the Northwest Territories is mandated underneath the 20th Legislative Assembly to strengthen government-to-government relationships with Indigenous governments and work in partnership to jointly engage the federal government to advance issues of shared interest;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh, that the Government of the Northwest Territories update the business case to complete the Mackenzie Valley Highway immediately;
AND FURTHER, that the Government of the Northwest Territories use the updated business case to formalize Indigenous partnerships in the project and to lobby the federal government in partnership to secure the funding required in the upcoming federal budget to build this critical infrastructure for the territories and Canada;
AND FURTHERMORE, that the Government of the Northwest Territories provide a response to this motion within 120 days.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion. Member from Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I put this motion forward with the encouragement of the whole Assembly's support for the reasons being that you can only visualize the impacts of last year's barging season and this year's total barging season and the many negative impacts not only to project delays but postponements, additional costs and, most importantly, the layoffs for the people that are affected by the delaying of the project or the cancellation of the whole project totally. That has a stressful impact on the family income, the mortgage commitments, additional costs of living, and the whole logistic of bringing goods from southern points to the community. So I emphasize and I encourage our government to stand behind and finish this into a view that we have a vested interest in capital commitments already to this project. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion. Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I second this motion because I support this motion. It's one that is really needed. And I always keep thinking about the late Cece McCauley who always said build a highway. And, you know, I think it's time now that we take a look at that. You know, as my colleague who brought forward this motion talks about the need of putting a highway there that helps with the high cost of living in that region, no different than I'm trying to push the same thing for my riding as well. But, Mr. Speaker, roads like this is good for communities. It's good for the North. Good for the jobs in the small communities. We all benefit from this. So, Mr. Speaker, you know, I'd like to see this road go ahead. And I always remember Cece McCauley at the Dene Nation meetings I used to attend, and she was a big advocate behind this whole thing so I think that maybe when we build this highway, we may have to call it the Cece McCauley Highway. Anyways, thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh. To the motion. Member from Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm pleased to support this motion. And, in the words of the late and legendary Cece McCauley, build the damn road.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. To the motion. Member from Yellowknife South.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one can support a motion without voting in favour of it and that is the situation I'm likely to find myself in, and my colleagues here in Cabinet will be abstaining on this. But I did want to speak to the motion.
The Member from the Sahtu has been voracious in terms of promoting the need for this highway. Mr. Speaker, myself, my office, we hear from him regularly. And, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that. It helps keep us on our toes, and it helps push something, and it helps push something when there's so many other things going on. There is absolutely no doubt of the importance of this project to the Sahtu region, to Nahendeh, to the communities along the way, and I am pleased to say there's a lot of work happening in this space right now. I am very hopeful that a renewed MOU with the SSI will be signed quite imminently. That was referenced by the Member. That does help on structure, the organization between the SSI and GNWT in terms of advancing this project. We have renewed work now happening with the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation and supporting their interest in how they want to see themselves reflected in the future of this project.
Mr. Speaker, the Member from Range Lake took this away from me. I was going to note that I also happen to know that Cece McCauley said something slightly different about how to build that highway. And, Mr. Speaker, I have a little picture of her with that quote sitting on my desk. So, Mr. Speaker, and I have one more thing on this; I'm, in fact, meeting with the Department of Infrastructure tomorrow to talk about what we might do to advance the construction schedule on this highway and see what we could do to move this forward. It's, again, as we do, Cabinet will abstain but, again, that doesn't mean that there's any lack of support or any less drive. Happy to have the motion to help keep that momentum going. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife South. To the motion.
Question.
Member from Sahtu can conclude the debate.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks for the opportunity to close the debate on this motion here. I additionally wanted to mention here if we look on the spirit of this Assembly's mandate to economic reconciliation with the Indigenous governments, here is one example how to do that and unlocking the Sahtu would mean that this region is 283,000 square kilometers, twice the size of the Maritime provinces, so you can see the potential within this area. And I would request a recorded vote there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from the Sahtu. To the motion.
Question.
