Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Mr. Dent.

Oral questions. Final supplementary, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. You did get your final question. Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to refer my question to the Honourable James Antoine, Minister of Transportation, regarding the fate of the winter road that is going to Wha Ti and if possible, if it is in the community, and is the other section to Rae Lakes, when it is going to be completed and when it is going to be into the community? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the work by the contractor into the winter roads into Wha Ti and into Rae Lakes started in early January. There is some way to go yet. I am just waiting for some detailed information from my department on exactly the status of when these roads will be completed and when they will be going into the community.

My information right now, roughly is depending on the work and the problems they are running into. It might be within a week or so that these roads will be operational. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My apologies for calling you Mr. Chairman. I would like to direct the same question to the same Minister regarding the winter road and the possibility of going into Snare Lakes. I wonder if the government is looking into it to see whether the supplies may be coming into the community of Snare Lakes through the Colomac Mine road? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Mr. Antoine.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the winter road into Snare Lakes is going ahead this year because the main section of road going into Colomac Mines. The information I have is Colomac will be putting a road to their mines to demobilize the material from their mine site. As a result, we as a government use that section and attach a 106 kilometre link from Colomac Road to Snare Lakes.

This section has been tendered out about three weeks ago. There are a number of materials from the Housing Corporation to petroleum products. Northland Utilities, MACA and the band have different types of materials which are going to go into there. As I understand it right now, this road will be completed sometime in February. Middle to late February is the timing for this road to be put in there. Thank you.

Thank you. Oral questions. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for Education, Culture and Employment. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise this House whether there is any funding allotted for nursing graduates? I should say, nurses who are about to graduate that have to travel to Yellowknife or Iqaluit to write the final exams. Is there any funding available for travel for them to get from Arviat, for example, to Yellowknife? Thank you.

Thank you. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Thank you. Oral question. Supplementary, Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just last week or so, we had a graduation or pinning ceremony here for the new nurses. I believe, these nurses come in to write their final exams at the same time they have the pinning ceremony.

My question to the Minister is, is he saying there is no funding available for these nurses? For example, they have to travel from Arviat to Yellowknife to write their exams. It is up to them. It is their cost as opposed to someone living in Yellowknife. There would be no cost for the travel, no airfare, no hotel costs. Thank you.

Mr. Dent.