Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are several issues that the Member brought up. First about the consultations on the outstanding issues and the Member did mention some of them, the hydrographic work, the environmental audits and the topographical surveys and community consultations were addressed in a mid-July meeting this past summer, those were issues that were discussed at a meeting of the Keewatin Re-supply Steering Committee, hosted by the Department of Transportation, Public Works and Services where the departments outlined their plans and gave status reports on the hydrographic work, the topographical surveys that were going to be done, and environmental audits that were ongoing and were to be done this past September.
Therefore, although it may be the Member's opinion that there has not been enough work or consultation to-date, is certainly not my opinion. As far as timing goes, I understand the Member did mention timing, the schedule we are following and that I have outlined in my announcement, some time ago, was a schedule that was recommended or identified by the Keewatin Resupply Committee one year ago. I have a copy of it in my hands, a report that we issued on October 2, 1996, which clearly outlined the schedule, that if we were to go on the direct delivery option, the target date was 1999; also clearly talked about but before then hydrographic surveys had to be done in 1997, which they were; that the construction of community resupply lines were to be done in 1998, which we are planning to do.; and that we retender the supply contracts in 1998, which is the intention.
In terms of schedule I believe, we are following what was recommended very closely to the letter. In terms of the dry cargo rates for the Keewatin communities, the best estimates we can get right now are the most accurate, as far as we are concerned, which tell us that the cost of dry cargo to the Keewatin communities would be 20 percent less than they are presently.
The issue as I understand, from the Hamlet of Arviat, especially, and some of the Members in the business community, is that with dry cargo being delivered through freighter from an eastern port, whether it be Montreal or elsewhere, that the frequency of deliveries would be much less. At this point in time there are two to three deliveries to the communities each summer. With the freighter system it would be one, at best, two deliveries per year.