Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the Pangnirtung airport, there are two major concerns that we have with this airport, and one of the first faults is the location, as the honourable member has stated, and the second is the length of this airport, as well, it is a problem.
For the information of the honourable member, in 1993, the Department of Transportation studied this issue looking at the relocation and upgrading of the airport. A study was done that identified alternative sites and we did a cost comparison.
The end result was that the cost was very, very high. I think the lengthening of the present airstrip is going to cost the same as relocating the airport to another location. The cost was something like $11 million. In this time of budget restraint, it was difficult. In 1993 the department concluded that the cost to relocate and upgrade the airport could not be justified at that time, and the financial situation has become even drearier this time around, so it is difficult to accommodate the requests of the citizens of Pangnirtung. Thank you.