Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly the objective of this department's very long range plan is to eventually do something more with the existing highway system that we have, to try to get it into better shape. The long- term plan is for doing reconstruction of the highway systems and eventually putting some hardtop and chip sealing and maybe even paving. We are doing this work between Rae-Edzo and Yellowknife as a highway strategy. That is where our efforts are, into upgrading the highway system there, straighten it out and eventually paving it all the way to Yellowknife. That is a very long range plan, like 10 to 12 years.
On the other parts of the highway, like the honourable Member's constituency, Thebacha, Highway 5 runs over there and I believe he mentioned there are some paved roads there. I think 122 kilometres of road in that area is paved. When I say paved, I mean that 40 kilometres is pavement. About 80 or so kilometres is chip seal. There is a remaining 140 or 144 kilometres of highway on that road that is gravel surface and is treated dust control. Towards the junction of Highway 3 and Highway 1, towards Simpson, there is a substantial amount of highway there that is still gravel. Highway 7 down from Highway 1, from the BC border up to Highway 1 is another section that is gravel. Up in the Dempster, we have gravel sections. We have a lot of areas in the north where there are gravel sections that should be looked at. The department is looking at a long range plan on this, and it does not fall currently within this coming five year capital plan. Thank you.