Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are several points I would like to make, although they are in different pages of the O and M, that are for the purpose of transportation planning division to do. However, I cannot see a specific thing that I would like to place here, so I guess I will categorize them in general comments.
First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Todd that he has been active with the transportation strategy since he became the Minister. I went to one of his planning meetings in Rankin Inlet, although it was short we were able to see there are some problems being presented and how they should be dealt with. There is a process that would take place.
Specifically, what I would like to know, Mr. Chairman, we have not been told exactly how much the winter road that was built from Rankin Inlet to Whale Cove cost. Secondly, is the Minister of Transportation planning to do similar types of initiatives in other communities, especially in isolated places like Coral Harbour? Because Coral Harbour has been economically deprived, other than with their own local initiatives, Coral Harbour is known for creating or being active in trying to have an economic base for themselves and that is the only way that Coral Harbour has been able to survive. Other than that there have been very few support or leadership initiatives from the government or private sector, other than local people.
With that note, I would like to know is there a plan for other Keewatin communities, like Coral Harbour, to get a road, especially an access road from Coral Harbour to Duke of York Bay to make the place more economically viable for the community for a number of reasons. Some of them being access to the wildlife area, commercial fishing, tourism and other economic activities that could be had if the access road could be built. The access road is necessary because you cannot travel around the island on the east side because of the ice floe pack that comes down Hecla Strait through Igloolik and Hall Beach. It is not possible to travel through there.
Secondly, the west side cannot be used because there are dangers on arrival because is too shallow. Either way, that north part of the Southampton Island has not been utilized by the Coral Harbour people, but rather by Repulse Bay and Chesterfield Inlet because they have direct access by boat. That's one of the things we have been working on. If the winter road like Rankin Inlet to Whale Cove can be done, and if the winter road can be done from Norman Wells to Fort Franklin on a year to year basis, surely there should be a very attractive investment on the part of the government to build a very, very cheap access road from Coral Harbour to Duke of York Bay. Is there a plan for that one?
There are those two questions I have, Mr. Chairman. I will make another comment after Mr. Todd has responded to my question. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.