Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to recognize the APG representatives, Bob Reid and Carl. Welcome.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the Peterson family; a former constituent, Amanda, and her mother and father, Jim and Margaret Peterson, who are in the constituency. Jim, of course, is the president of the NWT Barren-Ground Outfitters Association, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize our own CBC reporter Mr. Lee Selleck, who's overseeing the proceedings for the House and keeping an eye on what's going on in the House. Thank you.

---Applause

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. If we've missed anyone in the gallery today, welcome to the House. It's always nice to have an audience observing our proceedings.

Oral questions. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Kevin Menicoche. I want to ask the Minister, in terms of transportation issues in the Sahtu region, about the bridges. I want to talk specifically about the bridgework that's up in my region, the Great Bear River Bridge and some of the other bridges that are planned for this year. Can the Minister inform the people of the Sahtu in terms the status of the Great Bear and the other bridges planned to be used in the next couple of months or years? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In response to the Member's question, Mr. Speaker, in 2004, the GNWT received $25.3 million from the Canada strategic infrastructure funding. At that time, the Great Bear Bridge was designed as a 460-metre-long, two-lane bridge along with a 100-metre-wide navigational box to go with it. It was estimated at that time to be around $15 million, Mr. Speaker. I'm sorry; no, it was estimated at $25 million. The $25 million was planned for the bridge. Consequently, as we went along and got some cost estimates in last year, the estimates came in at $40 million. As a result, the project was beyond the scope of our ability to deliver the Great Bear Bridge, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. The Great Bear River Bridge is a vital point in terms of the oil and gas activity in the Sahtu and also the mining that shows a lot of interest in our region. I want to ask the Minister in terms of... Because of the estimate and the actual cost of putting this bridge in is about $15 million over, is the Minister then considering going back to the federal government, or looking at some of the other bridges that can be put in, in the meantime, in terms of strengthening our highway system, in terms of bringing business into the region? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the Great Bear River Bridge project, yes, because it was taken off our books and de-scoped, we actually had to go back to the federal government because it was a pre-approved program by the federal government at that time. However, we were able to get agreement to reallocate that money to five other bridges/projects: the Big Smith Creek, Little Smith Creek, Bob's Canyon, Blackwater River and Strawberry Creek bridges, Mr. Speaker. Those will be done. It actually expedites the number of bridges that we need for a future all-weather road up the Mackenzie Valley, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transportation had music to my ears: a future all-weather road up the Mackenzie Valley. I want to ask the Minister, in terms of this all-weather road up the Mackenzie Valley, what is the Minister doing, besides the bridgework, in terms of helping the communities in the Sahtu with safety, a better road system? I understand he's talked to other regions about the roads, so we are also in competition for the road. So what is the Minister doing to ensure the people in the Sahtu, with the number of oil and gas activities, the mining, to ensure that they will have a good road system also and not forget our orphan roads in the Sahtu? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With respect to the winter road up in the Sahtu region, just because of the increased exploration over the past few years, we have got agreements with industry over there to help provide for the maintenance and upkeep of the roads. In particular, last year was a good year because we were able to secure extra water trucks with the money that we got. Consequently, the road was very well maintained because the road was actually an ice road last year. This year, because the activity is down, there is not

that much contribution, as a result we were not able to ice the whole road. I'm sure that the Member and his constituents have noticed the difference. Mahsi.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, we did notice a difference. I did; and I thought, last year, I drove on that winter road and I had a cup of coffee and didn't spill one bit. This year, I had to duct tape my coffee pot to the vehicle and coffee was all over the place. I told the Minister I didn't spill a cup of coffee because it was frozen.

I want to ask the Minister, in terms of helping us out in the Sahtu region, will the Minister work with the region in terms of helping put safety measures on this winter road by cutting down some of the steep hills that some of the bridgework won't be able to go? Also, some of the corners, that they could be cut. I ask the Minister, would he commit himself to meet with the regional leadership businesspeople who are working on the winter roads to straighten out these winter roads, and cut down some of the hills? That would help us quite greatly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I am unaware of that level of detail as to which creeks and which bends are going to be realigned, but I can commit to getting back to the Member on that. Of course, keeping our highways straight and safe is the primary concern of our department, and we will continue to monitor that. Mahsi cho.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.