Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to a question asked by Mr. Zoe on December 10, 1991, with regard to a proposed winter road to Snare Lake. The Department of Transportation considers a public access winter road to Snare Lake to be a logical future extension of the present winter road system and is investigating the possibility of scheduling a road for every second year beginning in 1991-92. Unlike the previous winter truck routes which were only constructed when needed to meet specific shipping requirements and which remained open for about one week only, a public access road would be maintained throughout the winter season and would be available for use by local residents.
The Department of Transportation has never been funded to construct a winter road into Snare Lake. The road to the Colomac mine site and the extension to Snare Lake in previous years were constructed by private companies who charged the costs of construction to those agencies shipping goods to the community.
The costs for a public access winter road are estimated at between $300,000 and $400,000. While these costs are significant, especially in the current financial situation, they would be partially offset by the reduced costs of resupplying the community by road rather than by air. In addition, the various construction projects planned for the community over the next few years require the delivery of materials and equipment. Again, the savings achieved by shipping by winter road rather than by air would partially offset the cost of the winter road construction. A decision on the viability of the public access winter road is expected to be made by the end of December.
In the event that a public access winter road is not constructed, resupply and delivery of construction equipment and materials must once again be accomplished by a combination of air and private truck convoy. Initial meetings have taken place with Robinson Trucking Limited of Yellowknife, who have provided a truck haul service in the past. It is anticipated that such a convoy would be scheduled for late January or early February. I have instructed my department to co-ordinate the government's involvement in such a convoy, and it is attempting to firm up details of the shipping requirements of the various departments.
Thus far, it is understood that the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs requires shipment of a front-end loader, a three-quarter ton fire truck, an all-terrain vehicle and materials for construction of an equipment maintenance garage. The petroleum products division requires shipment of 51,000 litres of heating and vehicle fuel. The preliminary estimate of the cost to transport all of these materials by truck convoy or cat-train is $150,000. The NWT Housing Corporation does not have any materials scheduled for Snare Lake this winter.