Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have implemented the main street maintenance program through MACA. I believe it was a pilot project. Again, I believe it’s a good start, but we’re not going to be able to accomplish our communities. However, all I’m asking for the Minister to consider is a pilot project for our highway systems to look at, not any major capital dollars, but applying it on our different highway systems to see exactly how we can improve our highway systems for the

general public. So, again, I’m asking the Minister, we know we got $38 million of infrastructure funding, let’s use it. We got a raise in regards to the amount of borrowing limit we have, so let’s fill in that gap. I’d like to ask the Minister if he can act on this matter as soon as possible.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I can commit to the Member is that I would like to drive the Dempster Highway to see it first hand the issues and challenges into the issues here. Because, you know, safety of the travellers is our most important goal here with the department. I would take, again, his suggestion in terms of reviewing the Member’s suggestion. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today in my Member’s statement I spoke of the deplorable condition of Highway No. 6 and the fact that my constituents in Fort Resolution take their lives into their hands when they drive that road. Can the Minister tell this Assembly whether there is any plan to do any reconstruction on Highway No. 6 in the near future? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the need for capital reconstruction of Highway No. 6 to Fort Resolution is identified in the department’s 20-year capital needs assessment. The first 32 kilometres of the old Pine Point townsite has chipsealed surface, Mr. Speaker. I will, again, look at this issue here with the Members, as I also indicated to the Member for the Mackenzie Delta.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We need to do something to that highway before it disappears into the muskeg or, worse, before a bad accident occurs on that highway. Can the Minister commit to having his officials look at the situation taking into account the potential impact of the Tamerlane project that is being considered right now on the other side of the area of the highway from Fort Resolution due to the potential for high volume traffic for employees at Tamerlane? Can the Minister advise if there will be anything moved up in the capital plan to cover the 56 miles of gravel highway leading into Fort Resolution?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. A couple of questions there. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the Member for Tu Nedhe that my officials will continue monitoring all the infrastructure of highways, marinas, airport facilities in the North, and that Highway No. 6 is one of the areas that we are paying close attention to. The challenge, of course, is to find the funding to improve our existing highways and respond to the demands of all our needs in the Northwest Territories. I look forward to discussing transportation funding priorities with the committees when we have that time.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Currently there is $34 million in the capital plan for chipseal and pavement overlay. Can the Minister tell me how much of the $34 million has been earmarked for Highway No. 6, if any?

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, chipseal and pavement overlays are only considered on sections of our highways that we have reconstructed and the road base and improved the alignment, otherwise we would lose the service of improvement. Mr. Speaker, I want to get back to the Member with more information on the planned future work of Highway No. 6 in terms of chipsealing in that area.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister commit to taking a drive with me to the community during the summer months to see the highway first hand, Highway No. 6? Hopefully it will be raining then. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Yakeleya.

Mr. Speaker, I’m going to gladly take up the Member’s offer. I’m planning, actually, to see if I can drive all the highways in the Northwest Territories. I also plan to sit down with the Member and have a discussion about the future work that may happen in Pine Point. I look forward to working with committee on advancing some of the infrastructure needs with this government here. Certainly, the committee Members

would be most important to my department in these types of discussions we have on infrastructure.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this question is addressed to the Minister of MACA. Ms. Bisaro spoke earlier this week about the Arctic Winter Games and the benefit the 2008 games will provide to Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories. One of the biggest challenges for the games has been the need to raise enough funds to host the games as expected by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. The budget for the games is $6.6 million. Of that, $2.6 million has been contributed through various other government organizations -- federal, territorial -- which leaves $3.1 million. Fundraising for $3.1 million has been done through businesses both in the Northwest Territories and Canada, which leaves a shortfall of $901,000. The host society is projected to raise an additional $476,000, which leaves us with a total shortfall of $425,000. Some months ago, in June, the host society submitted a request to MACA for an additional operational grant in the amount of $425,000. As of today, there’s been no response to this request. The host society has entered into a critical period of cash flow and needs the GNWT to respond to the request and provide a cash grant as soon as possible. So my question to the Minister is, will the 2008 host society receive approval for the necessary operational grant and when can they expect to receive the cheque? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the host society for the Arctic Winter Games has been doing a very good job and they’ve done a good job in raising a lot of the funding that’s been required. A request has come forward, as the Member has indicated, in the latter part of the summer. We are now bringing it forward to my Cabinet colleagues for discussion and we will be reporting back to the host society sometime in early December. Thank you.