Thank you, Madam Chair. One of the other things in a lot of these roadside turnouts, there are the information maps, and in some cases they've been shot at or they've been defaced or whatever. If we're not going to maintain them, I'd rather see them out of there rather than be in the state that they're in. I think it gives a negative impression to visitors entering our territory or driving around our territory, that we don't take care of what we have in place. I know it's a real challenge when you put these nice signs up that show you where you are at on the Mackenzie Highway and people come around and shoot them and deface them and it's a real shame. But if we are not going to maintain them, maybe we should just take them out. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.

Madam Chair, we are discussing that issue also with RWED. Some of the signs belong to RWED. Some of them belong to the Department of Transportation and some of the signs we're not planning to replace. However, there are others that we have to replace; the ones that indicate speed and other information signs. So we will be addressing that issue. We will be removing some signs and we will be replacing others. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr. Ramsay caused me to think of a concern a constituent brought forward to me. It is in regard to traveling along the highways and the lack of washrooms. I think the Minister did reply with a letter and I remember there was some discussion about trying to find new ways to establish roadside pullout toilet areas that could, well, I wouldn't want to say be safer from the shotgun, but certainly in a scenario where I think the Minister basically implied it's difficult to keep these washrooms along the highway from public abuse. Has the Minister ever engaged into looking at solving some of that problem or looking at alternative ways of making sure we have a lot of washroom pullouts along the highway between here and Alberta? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Madam Chair, this is, as I indicated earlier, part of the same problem we have with the garbage and cleanliness of the pullouts, and we're looking at all the issues around the pullouts, including outhouses and washrooms.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would definitely say that this is a key issue with some of my constituents who do prefer to drive and do like the comfort of these facilities being along there. What does the Minister mean by "we're looking at," if he could elaborate? Does it mean it would be a strategy this year, to take a serious look at this problem and maybe consider an alternative to the delivery of needs or whatnot? If the Minister could comment on what we're looking at.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. McLeod.

Madam Chair, we indicated earlier that we're having the discussions regarding the roadside pullouts with RWED. The bulk of the washrooms or outhouse facilities belong to RWED and we have concern regarding the garbage and the condition of these units. Also, there is a requirement for regular maintenance in the cleanliness of the washrooms. So we have committed to having those discussions. We've had some early discussions and we'll continue to do that and come forward with a solution for garbage and washrooms and overall cleanliness of the roadside pullouts.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a small comment and it's actually not directed at the Minister, it's more directed at those who thought this was funny. I do have some older constituents who truly rely on these facilities, who feel very uncomfortable needing to use the washroom in the woods and don't feel safe or comfortable. So anyone who thinks this is a funny issue...Some of my senior constituents who are in the older years just don't feel comfortable. So to them it's a very important thing; and those who think it's a funny issue, I'm disappointed they would find this funny. I can appreciate that at times we make light of many issues here, but they listen to these things and they follow our Hansard. So I'm very disappointed that we'd find something of this type of nature funny. It's an important issue and I'm not talking about the young teens who can go pee in the woods, I'm talking about the seniors who have a little bit of discomfort over the issue. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. I'll take that as a comment, unless Mr. McLeod

would like to respond to that. Alright, then we're still on page 8-7, total net book value and work in progress, $472.870 million.

Agreed, thank you. On pages 8-8 and 8-9, infrastructure acquisition plan, highways, tangible capital assets, total tangible capital assets, $40.151 million, total activity, $40.151 million. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to make a comment for the Minister, and I know his staff is here as well and I've also got the ear of the Minister of RWED over there. I've heard the Minister say he's working with the Minister of RWED. One of the things that I think that the highway system could use and I know when you are traveling north into the Northwest Territories and you go through the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary you're liable, obviously, to see bison on the road. I think if we had a look at developing some type of interpretive centre on the highway, maybe we could even fence in some bison so that people could actually stop there and have a look at the bison instead of just hit and miss if you run into them or not. But I think it's an idea that has some merit, and I wouldn't mind if maybe the Minister and the Minister of Transportation might have a look at this and see if it's at all possible to develop something like that. When you are traveling that long road, there's not too much to see or to stop at. That's quite a distance from Fort Providence to Rae and then into Yellowknife. So if there was something between Fort Providence and Rae, a bison interpretive centre, I think that would be really nice for visitors on the road system. I don't know if it would be feasible at all, but it would be nice. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. To that idea, Mr. McLeod.

---Laughter

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I know that RWED had some discussions over the years on the very issue regarding an interpretive centre. I'm not sure if those discussions included having it located on the highway system. I think there was some interest from the community, from some residents in setting up something as a commercial venture. I could certainly follow that issue up with the Minister of RWED.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think the tourists that do use the road system, and now that Highway No. 3 is going to be completed and paved, I think they'll be looking for some product on the trip. Whether it's into Rae-Edzo or into Yellowknife, being the end of the road and having something like that I think would be nice. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. McLeod.

Madam Chair, we agree that it would be nice and probably a good attraction for tourism, and we will have that discussion with RWED.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Highways, total tangible capital assets, total activity, $40.151 million. Mr. Menicoche.