Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Transportation has been working, since May of 1998, to complete background planning work on four major road projects as part of a strategy for highway development in the NWT. Today I would like to provide you with a status report on this important initiative.

The four projects included in the Highway Strategy are the Slave Geological Province Transportation Corridor, extension of the Mackenzie Valley Highway, a road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk and finally, acceleration of Highway 3 reconstruction from Rae to Yellowknife.

The funding allocated to this initiative has been used to undertake economic, environmental, financing and pre-engineering studies for each of the four road projects. The majority of these studies are now complete.

Extensive consultations with all stakeholders were a key element of each of the studies undertaken. These included stakeholder workshops in Yellowknife and other regional centres, public meetings and interviews in each affected community and, one on one interviews with key stakeholders. Stakeholder Advisory Committees were organized to assist the department in establishing the scope for the study areas and reviewing the results.

The Highway Strategy initiative has been successful both in establishing a comprehensive database of information on new road construction in the Northwest Territories, and by involving all stakeholders in this process.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of future activities, the department intends to complete all studies that are currently underway and will undertake additional analysis as needs or opportunities arise. Department officials are currently preparing two reports that will present the results of the work completed to date. The first report will present a concise summary of the result for each of the studies undertaken. This report will be made available to stakeholders and the general public shortly. The second report will outline the departments's vision of the future NWT highway system and a plan of action to achieve that vision.

In closing Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that plans are now being made to present the study results and the vision for new roads to Minister Kakfwi's Economic Strategy Panel. I fully expect the panel will include the results of the Highway Strategy initiative among its recommendations for inclusion in this government's Economic Strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause