Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Handley.

Mr. Speaker, the building will open as soon as the applications are reviewed and selections are made of who will go into that unit. I expect that to happen very quickly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The safety concerns around the Kakisa Bridge have been on the books for our department for some time. In fact, we are up to looking at replacing the bridge. We have been monitoring the bridge for the last year. Some of the international driving courses is the bridge collapse in Mississippi as well as the incident in Quebec last year that really heightened our Bridge Inspection Program, Mr. Speaker. That is what we are concentrating on. With that collapse in Mississippi, it made us take a second look at the Kakisa Bridge, because it is our oldest bridge, Mr. Speaker. It is 50 years old. We have had some concerns over the steel and concrete structures. So we are having a good look at them. We are just asking the travelling public's patience as we continue to monitor and assess the bridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Okay. I guess I am just trying to understand just what is the specific nature of the damage that was discovered. Are we just reacting to things that have gone wrong in other places? I appreciate that we want to take a surplus of caution, but just what is the exact nature of the problem? Just what is it, then, that we should be really concerned for a danger to the travelling public or complete failure or closure of the bridge? I think the public deserves to know just what is going on there, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Some of the issues that we are having with the Kakisa Bridge right now is that it is a 50-year-old bridge. It is steel and concrete that was used on that bridge. It is exactly at that same age. We are having some stress and some fatigue issues with the steel and we are looking at it. The engineers are assessing it to see what kind of mitigation we can deal with the bridge and make it safer for our travelling public. Once again, as repairs are ongoing, we have asked that the road restriction be five kilometres an hour through the work zone. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Mr. Speaker, the advisory that the department put out said that these measures will be in effect until the new bridge is in place. Now, I am anticipating that this is going to be some time potentially through the winter traffic months. I don't need to remind the Minister that there is, for a very short period of time, an incredibly high volume of traffic that needs to use that bridge. Having to slow traffic to a crawl is not only an inconvenience, but I think that the degree of hazard grows in the winter months. Could the Minister advise, then, just when are we going to anticipate that either these restrictions can be lifted or the new bridge will be in place, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now, we are continuing our assessment on the Kakisa Bridge. Restrictions will be in place until an engineering assessment says anything different. For now, Mr. Speaker, the bridge is old. We do have serious concerns over the stress and fatigue that is with the steel there and the restriction may even be in place up until next year when we start constructing a new bridge on the Kakisa River. Mahsi.

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

Mr. Speaker, is the replacement project on time and on budget? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It is anticipated that the bridge will be constructed and in place for next fall. Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to continue with some questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services getting back to the closure and I guess now the reopening of the surgery ward at Stanton. If the ward did in fact reopen on the 13th, I'd like to know what patients and families visiting patients on the surgery ward, now that the patient lounge has been converted into office space, where do patients and families go to get out of their rooms and to get some relaxation on that ward? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'll have to get that information. I was made aware that the surgery ward was back open. I'm not sure what they've done to deal with the space situation, as the Member raised earlier the fact that we've taken some of that and turned it into office space. I'll have to get back to the Member with that information. Thank you.