Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I thank the Member for his comments. The concept of connecting all parts of the Northwest Territories is something we really support, including connecting to the rest of Canada, and our submission is named after that whole idea of connecting Canada from coast to coast to coast. We will continue on working to improve the Mackenzie Valley winter road, regardless of what it ends up being called.
The Dempster Highway is a road that has been concerned in terms of the age and investment on that road, some of the maintenance that was deferred. We recognize that it's an area that needed significant investment and has to be reconstructed. There is also concern over some of the construction methods that were used a long time ago when this road was used, and the frost heaving that takes place on that road. So we've earmarked that this road be reconstructed over the next while at a rate of $5 million a year, and we are working right now from McPherson to the Yukon border.
I agree there was a time when the Dempster Highway, the road on the Yukon side of the border, was very good quality and is not at the same level anymore. We've had a number of discussions with the Honourable Glenn Hart from the Yukon government. He holds the same portfolios in the Yukon government as I do. So we have the opportunity to have discussions and meet with him on a fairly regular basis. We've had discussions in terms of how do we improve the maintenance on the road overall; how can we avoid or how can we deal better with some of the real major storms that happen on some sections of that road; how do we deal with the high level of snowfall and get it off the road early; are there areas where we can share some of the responsibility? We have a camp and locations that are probably better suited for responding. So we will continue to have those discussions to see if we can come up with an improved plan to deal with the road, the Dempster Highway. We've also discussed about having our own forces doing it versus contract crews and the ability of who can respond quicker or better, which way we should be looking at going.
Highway No. 4 is something that was one area that was earmarked in our Corridors for Canada for investment. It was one of six areas that was identified to be impacted by heavy resource development. It was also, at the end of the day, when the budgets were approved, this was one area that the federal government indicated that we should be jointly investing in. Our responsibility for the Ingraham Trail, I should point out, ends at Tibbett Lake. The remainder of the road is not our responsibility. The
diamond mines share the costs on putting that road in every year and we don't pay for any part of it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.