This is page numbers 131 - 159 of the Hansard for the 16th Assembly, 1st Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was work.

Topics

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to oral questions. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

The Member is seeking unanimous consent to return to oral questions. Are there any nays? There are no nays. We will return to oral questions. Before we do, the chair is going to call a break.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

We’ll return to orders of the day. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Deh Cho Bridge has been a topic of much debate the last few days and I believe the November 30th date was to

be a very important and critical date. I would like to know if the Minister of Transportation could give us an update on the status of the Deh Cho Bridge project to find out where it sits. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Yakeleya.

Return To Question 86-16(1): Deh Cho Bridge Project Update
Item 7: Oral Questions

November 29th, 2007

Sahtu

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Minister of Transportation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning I was notified and am happy to report to the House that I heard from the president of the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, Mr. Michael Vandell. We were advised the last couple of hours by Transport Canada that their navigable waters to construct the Deh Cho Bridge across the Mackenzie River was approved by the navigable waters protection office of Transport Canada. This is good news for the Northwest Territories. Now the corporation can close the financial arrangements under the public/private partnership and make preparations to begin construction on the long-awaited Deh Cho Bridge.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have always, in principle, been a big supporter of the Deh Cho Bridge project. I think it’s a good project. Mr. Speaker, there were a lot of problems associated with this project and, as I understand it, there were still 12 outstanding issues. If the Minister is not prepared to give me an answer on every single one of those 12 issues that are still outstanding today, will he provide Members details on every one of those issues and how we are remedying them in the next few days? Can he provide that by the end of next week? Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Minister of Transportation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to, first of all, congratulate the people

of the aboriginal corporations in Fort Providence, the Metis, the band, the hamlet, the people in Fort Providence and the people of the Deh Cho, the Deh Cho Corporation also, and the GNWT department staff in terms of making an historical agreement that would see a project like this be very successful in the Northwest Territories. Once we have done our work in terms of working it out with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation in terms of some of the 12 outstanding issues, we would certainly be happy to share that with the Members.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Robert Hawkins

Robert Hawkins Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the people concerned about the 12 outstanding issues I don’t think are in any way concerned about the bridge in principle. It is more about the nuts and bolts of this agreement to make sure it is online and on track. So, Mr. Speaker, I heard the willingness of the Minister to provide this. I just want to get some timelines on when we can actually see this document in front of us so we can really understand the fullness of what has been fully committed to this project. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Minister of Transportation

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly, once we have arranged our discussions and some final discussions with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, our staff, this government on this side here, then we would produce the concession agreement for the Members here. I cannot say right now as to when those timelines would be stated as we still need to meet with the bridge corporation and work on some of those issues that would see a conclusion to this concession agreement.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot in regards to the Prime Minister’s announcement in regards to the Throne speech in regards to Arctic sovereignty and also looking at more military presence dealing with the many challenges seen by way of ships travelling back and forth. But yet, Mr. Speaker, we have heard very little on behalf of this government on exactly where we stand in regards to Arctic sovereignty, and yet, Mr. Speaker, the Arctic is our home, it is our territory, but yet we have not really responded on it. Mr. Speaker, the residents of Aklavik travel back and forth between Alaska to visit relatives and whatnot. But yet, Mr. Speaker, these are our eyes and ears on the ground. These people are already out there. They travel back and forth between Alaska and Canada, but yet we are not really using them. We have the Rangers program. I think, as a government, we have to start using that. I would like to ask the Premier, exactly are we in communication with the federal government when it comes to Arctic sovereignty in regards to how the federal government can

include us in any discussions on Arctic sovereignty in regards to the residents of the Northwest Territories?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Premier

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the area of Arctic sovereignty is of great interest to us here in the Northwest Territories. In my brief discussion with the Prime Minister, I referenced the Throne speech. It is good to hear that the Arctic is playing such a prominent role in it. I look forward to working with his government in coming up with how we can be a part of dealing with Arctic sovereignty. In other areas, I have also mentioned that Arctic sovereignty, we are here, we are living here. One of the things they can do is support us in securing the sovereignty piece by helping us with our infrastructure. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe it is critical that we, as government, do have a position going forward but, more importantly, realize the importance our communities play and the residents, especially in the Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta have played in regards to the Arctic sovereignty. The threat that we have in the Arctic is coming from Russia in regards to submarine traffic and also in regards to air transport flights over the Arctic. I think it is important that we, as government, do a better job by way of ensuring that the federal government commits to infrastructure to accommodate the residents in our communities, but also, more importantly, make that presence a reality by way of realizing the importance that people play in our communities in regards to being the eyes and ears on the ground. I would like to ask the Premier, exactly have we developed a position dealing with Arctic sovereignty so that we can present something to the federal government?

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Roland.

Floyd Roland

Floyd Roland Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we, as the 16th Assembly, haven’t had

opportunity to come up with a proposal as of yet. There is some ongoing work on how we can strengthen our position, what are the key pieces we would like to present as being what we would call solutions to the issue of Arctic sovereignty. A solution is that we are here and we can help the federal government in that area. So we don’t have a proposal yet. There are meetings coming up within the new year that can help us along this way and further discussions about what avenues might be available to us. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Krutko.

David Krutko

David Krutko Mackenzie Delta

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I believe that by building a road to the Beaufort Sea is one way that we, as Canada, can show that we do have control of sea to sea to sea, which includes all the portions around Canada, but also developing an Arctic institute by way of either the Inuvik region or…