This is page numbers 157 - 194 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 6th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.

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Further Return To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 167

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, in moving these wide oversized loads through Alberta and into the Northwest Territories, companies have to arrange for a vehicle to accompany them and shut down highways, so it's not just us, it's also Alberta. In working with Alberta and working with the companies, it's been determined that the safest, best way of doing it is to have the vehicles arrive overnight at Rae-Edzo and then they are marshalled there and brought through that piece of unreconstructed highway, about 50 kilometres, during daylight hours. We and the companies have to work together on this and have to find out what's the best way that will cause the least disruption and the least chance of accidents for everybody right through Alberta and the NWT. Any one piece has to make a little bit of a compromise somewhere along the way. Thanks.

Further Return To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad the Minister recognizes the hazards on Highway No. 3. I would also like to mention to him that the Ingraham Trail is a lot narrower and windier than Highway No. 3, but the traffic is travelling at night. Aren't there more safety concerns on that highway than on Highway No. 3? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

No, Mr. Speaker, first of all, on Highway No. 3 we look at everything. Safety is most important. We do not want those large, oversize loads travelling on that narrow old piece of highway at night and meeting traffic. It's just too dangerous. So we arrange to have it during the day. I am flexible on the hours and we have talked. If there is reason to change it from 12:00 to 2:30 during the day, I am fine with that, we can make that arrangement. When it comes to the Ingraham Trail, they do the hauling of those oversize loads up the Ingraham Trail between midnight and 6:00 in the morning because at that time there is virtually no traffic other than trucking companies themselves and the buses that take aurora tourists out on there. They do make arrangements to coordinate everything with the aurora tourist traffic. So that's the best time to do it there. I realize Highway No. 4 is narrow, but there is virtually no traffic during those hours that can't be predicted. Thank you.

Further Return To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Supplementary To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

Leon Lafferty North Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister agreed to making changes on the time and I would like to ask him right now in this House if you would agree to changing the hours and switching with the Ingraham Trail, which would benefit all constituents of mine and all motorists on Highway No. 3. If there is no traffic over there, it doesn't matter what time they go through there anyway according to his statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, I am going to leave the traffic on the Ingraham Trail where it is now where the heavy oversize loads travel between midnight and 6:00 in the morning. We've had lots of consultation with the people along that area and that is determined to be the best time to do it and the aurora tourist companies are happy with it, as happy as they can be with it and that's the best time. With Highway No. 3, I will do further consultation, have my department consult with the communities involved, mainly Rae-Edzo and make sure they are happy if we change it to some other time during the day. The one that we will not, at this point, consider is having those heavy oversize trucks go through there in the dark for that 50-kilometre stretch. Mr. Speaker, I might also mention that we only marshal the trucks at 50 kilometres. It's the only place we close the road and partway through that - and that goes from kilometre 272 to 322 approximately - and in the middle of that is Boundary Creek where there is a pullover area. Those big trucks do allow, if there happens to be vehicles, they do pull over and allow traffic to go aside that way. Nobody should be caught for a long period of time. As well, Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to put signs at both ends, at the Yellowknife end and at the Rae-Edzo end to alert motorists that might be using the road at those hours that they could be delayed by these oversize loads passing through. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Question 51-14(6): Restricted Load Schedule For Highway No. 3
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

February 18th, 2003

Page 168

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to follow up with some questions for the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. This is in reference to some information that was contained in yesterday's federal budget, Mr. Speaker, that budget made much of its contribution to reducing the social deficit that I talked about. Housing is one of the big issues across Canada, not only here in the North, and I wanted to ask the Minister what opportunities he sees from the additional $320 million that was identified in the budget to increase the supply of affordable rental housing in Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In consultation with my colleague, the Finance Minister, the amounts that were announced in the federal budget yesterday on pages 2 and 5, I believe, are so miniscule that it won't impact any of our own programs. So we are going to continue to retain the strategies outlined, our affordable housing strategy, and that's the best method to use at this moment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 168

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, that is disappointing, but I will continue. There was also a reference in the budget to a three-year extension of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's residential rehabilitation assistance program, $128 million a year. Is that the same story: It's not going to mean anything for the North? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That aspect of the question requires more evaluation and assessment as to what it would mean to the NWT housing social programs. I need to take a little more time to study the impacts, but I will certainly get back to the Member as soon as I can.

Further Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Mr. Speaker, a third part of the Budget Address in relation to housing suggests there is going to be a three-year extension to the supporting communities' partnerships, $135 million a year to help communities sustain their efforts to address homelessness. We, in Yellowknife, Mr. Speaker, have a homelessness coalition that has demonstrated it can do things. Will this be a benefit to our continuing efforts to help homelessness, Mr. Speaker?

Supplementary To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In terms of real dollars, I cannot comment on that, but I will make a commitment that we will continue to work with the homelessness coalition with our existing funds. We will also try to find new funds under this announcement. Hopefully with further consultation with my federal and provincial colleagues, we will be able to define what the federal budget means to the issue of homelessness. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess this is on the heels of the tremendous cooperation that our Premier has undertaken with the Premiers of the Yukon and Nunavut to engage in a cooperative effort on the health front. Is the Minister for Housing here in the NWT considering a similar campaign with our sister territories to get more of the federal dollars into the North for housing? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Supplementary To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

The Speaker

The Speaker Tony Whitford

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation, Mr. Allen.

Further Return To Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On Nwt Housing
Question 52-14(6): Federal Budget Impact On NWT Housing
Item 6: Oral Questions

Page 169

Roger Allen

Roger Allen Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that in our last conference call amongst all the territorial housing Ministers, we wanted to take a unified approach with the federal government to try to access more federal dollars for a number of housing issues. We have tentatively scheduled a meeting for the end of March to further that discussion amongst ourselves to see where we can access those federal dollars for a number of social housing issues. We will continue to pursue that from our own internal discussions with other Members across the country. Thank you.