Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Gargan on June 16, 1992. On the highway reconstruction project near Fort Providence, the department has a service contract with DIGAA Enterprises Ltd. for the supply of engineering support and services personnel. On June 12, out of 19 persons working on the contract, 18 are native residents of Fort Providence, with the survey party chief being an experienced surveyor from British Columbia.
The contract for the reconstruction work is with Amy's Construction Ltd. of Rae. Of the total of 28 persons employed by the contractor, 16 supervisors, equipment operators, mechanics and servicemen are from Alberta, while three equipment operators are from Fort Providence. All of the labour and flag persons, eight in total, are local native hires from Fort Providence. The administrator of the project is a northern native from Fort Rae.
The department's own hiring policy is in line with the overall GNWT policy in that preference for casual summer employment is given to returning native students, returning northern students, and other Northerners, in that order. Thank you.