Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I may be starting to sound like a broken record, but during the life of the 15th Assembly I will continue to pursue and raise the issue of a Tuktoyaktuk/Inuvik all-weather road.
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Over the last couple of months, the Mackenzie Valley highway has garnered national attention when our Premier managed to get support from his provincial and territorial counterparts advancing the project.
Mr. Speaker, this project can become a reality provided this government can work with the federal government to secure the necessary funding. I know that in the GNWT's Corridors for Canada there was a $15 million partnership agreement proposed to build an access road to gravel source 177. This is the start of the Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik highway. It has been a couple of years, and I am hoping that the project can start to gain momentum.
Not to detract from the Mackenzie Valley highway, Mr. Speaker, the fact remains that the simplest way to connect the Canadian highway system from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean is to build the Tuktoyaktuk/Inuvik all-weather road first.
Canadian sovereignty is of interest to all Canadians, and connecting the Arctic Ocean to our national highway system would show the world that we are serious. An added benefit would be the increased economic development opportunities that would obviously follow the construction of an all-weather road, all-weather highway to Tuktoyaktuk. I could see many tourists waiting, wanting to drive the extra distance just to see Tuktoyaktuk and the Arctic Ocean. Prices should also go down for residents of Tuktoyaktuk.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, we need to make this dream a reality. We need to excite Canadians about a highway system that goes from coast to coast to coast, so that we can get funding from the federal government. We can make this happen and ensure our people are employed and not relying on income support. A highway would decrease the reliance on government programs in the Beaufort-Delta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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