While this compliment may be a bit of a stretch, I am very proud of the improvements the department has made. In 2006-2007, the proposed budget for the Mackenzie Valley highway winter road program is $11 million, which will include the beginning of the construction on the Bear River Bridge project.
One of the goals and priorities of the department is to improve connections to the communities. This year the capital plan proposes $575,000 towards improvements to the Nahanni Butte, Jean Marie River and Hay River Reserve access roads.
Aside from the major capital reconstruction and the increasing maintenance efforts that I have mentioned, the department's capital program also includes more than $8 million in capital projects aimed at preserving highway infrastructure on lower volume, non-reconstruction sections of highway. This expenditure will help keep our highways in good operating condition and is critical to maintain the investment value of the highway system.
In the Airports Program, the capital acquisition plan proposed $9.8 million for capital improvements and rehabilitation at NWT airports. This funding includes $3.4 million for rehabilitation and replacement of two key buildings at the Yellowknife Airport; construction of a new combined services building to replace the existing maintenance garage is entering its second year; and the expansion and renovation of the passenger terminal building will enter the third and final year.
The other major project in the Airports Program is the completion of the rehabilitation of the runway, taxiway and apron at the Norman Wells Airport. The federal government, under the Airports Capital Assistance Program, will contribute $4.6 million of the $4.9 million cost this year.
The Department of Transportation has two successful programs dedicated to local transportation in our communities, the Community Local Access Roads
Program and the Community Marine Infrastructure Program. With a small combined budget of $431,000, the Department of Transportation will assist communities to build trails to points of local interest and to construct facilities for local boating activities. In 2006-2007, these programs will assist many communities, including Fort Resolution, Lutselk'e, Paulatuk, Whati and Wekweeti.
The department will continue to pursue an all-weather highway down the Mackenzie Valley. We have recently presented "Corridors for Canada II" and "Connecting Canada" to the federal government calling for additional infrastructure investment. In addition, working with other provinces and territories, the Council of the Federation has released a National Transportation Strategy titled Looking to the Future. We will continue to join forces with the Council of the Federation, other Ministers of Transportation and organizations such as the Business Coalition to lobby the federal government to extend and renew transportation infrastructure programs. As the honourable Minister Roland acknowledged in the budget address, it is a time to seize opportunities and maintain momentum. The department will continue to pursue the challenge to make the Mackenzie Valley highway and other system improvements a reality.
Infrastructure improvements enable economic activity, improve access to resources, lower the cost of living and provide a better quality of life for our citizens. The transportation system is essential to our continued economic success and there is a clear need for the transportation system to meet the demands of a growing economy.
In summary, these are the highlights of the Department of Transportation's main estimates for 2006-2007. The proposed budget provides for the continued safe and reliable operation of the territorial transportation system on which the people and the economy of the Northwest Territories depends so much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.