This is page numbers 341 - 376 of the Hansard for the 15th Assembly, 6th 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 name.

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Supplementary To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 349

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Okay, Mr. Speaker. Thanks very much for the answer from the Minister. But my information, and I think it's been quite well noted in the media, is that the camp housing proposals that they were looking at for building the pipeline have changed from building I believe it was five major permanent or semi-permanent camps to ones that are far more mobile, smaller and less sophisticated. So that was the point of my question. Maybe we need to compare some notes on it. But regardless, we put a lot of our eggs in that Novel basket, potentially a lot of money had been talked about from this government, the federal government; some $300 million at one point. What are we doing if this proposal is not going to be coming forward? What are we doing, Mr. Speaker, to replace this plan and continue on to look at the several hundred housing units that our people tell us we need?

Supplementary To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 349

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 349

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again I want to assure Members that the Novel housing concept is very much on the books. We're working on it; we haven't dismissed it. It may be less houses than what was originally contemplated; I don't know for sure yet because I don't think Imperial have really made a final decision on how they're going to manage the construction of this, but we'll keep it there. In the meantime, the only other major initiative we have is the affordable housing initiative. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to say that out of the estimated 530 or so houses over the next couple of years that we would be building, we're now up to 336 houses that are either completed or in construction or were in design. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 349

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 349

Bill Braden

Bill Braden Great Slave

Thank you for the update, Mr. Speaker, on the affordable housing project. One of the aspects of the Novel plan that had come under some discussion was that we would be, in effect, exporting a lot of jobs and a lot of value to factories in southern Canada that would be prefabbing this, and it caused some of us ask, well, why couldn't we create that kind of an industry here in the NWT for ourselves, knowing that housing is, of course, a perpetual need. So I'm wondering to what extent the Housing Corporation is looking at enabling the creation of a viable housing manufacturing facility here in the NWT that we know is going to be something that we will need

all the time every year and it looks like in an increasing way, Mr. Speaker?

Supplementary To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. Handley.

Further Return To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

Joe Handley

Joe Handley Weledeh

Mr. Speaker, while the concept of a housing manufacturing plant has been debated and discussed for a long time, some community corporations have looked at it. Without a steady confirmed market, it's very difficult to set up such a factory. We have to look at the benefits of doing it that way and moving modular homes or houses that are pre-built into communities versus building in the communities and building up the capacity of the development corporations. Up to now, the Housing Corporation has received more pressure to work with communities to build up the corporations in each community so that they can build their own houses. So that's the direction we have been taking up to now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Further Return To Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Question 131-15(6): Core Housing Needs Of The Nwt
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Handley. Final supplementary, Mr. Braden. Thank you, Mr. Braden. Oral questions. Honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. McLeod.

Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

August 15th, 2007

Page 350

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke on the condition of Highway No. 8, also known as the "Dumpster Highway." I closed my statement by saying we deserve to drive on a nice highway. That was wrong, Mr. Speaker. We deserve a highway that's not dangerous. Some of the most beautiful country in the world you can't really look at it because you don't want to take your eyes off the road, otherwise you'll have a building named after you.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transportation has been on that highway. I'd like to know his honest assessment of Highway No. 8. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was very happy to take the opportunity to go to Inuvik and to the northern reaches of our great territory and drive on the infrastructure that we do have over there. My opinion, it would be moot at this point but I can give the Member some facts, and the fact is that we have spent $35 million on the Dempster Highway over the years, and the last two years, Mr. Speaker, we have spent $5 million upgrading that piece of infrastructure and we've been very happy with the contractors that work there and work hard on our highways. We are working towards safe transportation infrastructure and that's important to our communities and the regions and our people, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you where that $35 million is and the $5 million they spent recently. It's in the ditch.

---Laughter

---Applause

Because they are not getting the work done properly and it's no fault to the contractor; they are given a contract to go by. So they go by that contract and I agree with the Minister, they do work hard, and that's not what I'm getting at. What I'm getting at is the money that is going into the Dempster Highway has to stay on the Dempster Highway and not go into the ditch, because that's the way it's happening and the highway is still dangerous. I'd like to ask the Minister if he's instructed his department to look at ways they can improve the highway and allocate more funds into it? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. No, we are extremely happy to be using our resources and the money that we do have allocated to the Dempster Highway for culvert replacement, road widening, geometric improvements, improving the sight lines around the corners, and a lot of the money too has been expended on our passing zones by the application of calcium. So we are working hard to improve this piece of infrastructure. I have driven it, Mr. Speaker, and I can appreciate the frustration of the residents of Inuvik and of the Mackenzie Delta riding as well. There is a long piece of road that goes all the way to the Yukon and it's 670 kilometres long and I can appreciate the frustration of people driving for long hours on gravel road, but our section, Mr. Speaker, is 270 kilometres long and we're spending as much money as we can on that highway and upgrading and improving it and I did receive many, many positive comments during my tour. Mahsi.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

I think the positive comments on his tour were coming from the fellow Minister. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister, with business plans coming up, if they can commit 125 kilometres from Inuvik to Tsiigehtchic. My colleagues were with me on that road; we're still wondering where the dust control is. It was dusty all the way. I'd like to ask the Minister if he could commit his department to doubling the amount of money they put on the Dempster and in particular fix the road between Inuvik and Tsiigehtchic, because it is a dangerous little stretch of road and it's not very wide, there are no sight lines. Would he commit to that? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 350

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 351

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Our priority right now is to do the 44 kilometres from the border towards Midway Lake and that's where we're expending our efforts. We've got regular O and M funding that does, as well, address some of the issues of that particular section the Member is talking about, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 351

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 351

Robert C. McLeod

Robert C. McLeod Inuvik Twin Lakes

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know it's difficult right now for the Minister to commit any extra funding to the Dempster Highway, but I would like to see him make a recommendation to the department to double the amount of money that they allocate to the Dempster Highway. Would he be able to do that? Thank you.

Supplementary To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 351

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 351

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The challenges of my department and many other departments is how to best allocate the resources of the Government of the Northwest Territories. I can tell the Member that my personal experiences on the Dempster are leaning toward extra recommendation of funding for that portion. Mahsi cho.

Further Return To Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Question 132-15(6): Condition Of Dempster Highway
Item 8: Oral Questions

Page 351

The Speaker

The Speaker Paul Delorey

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

David Ramsay

David Ramsay Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it goes back to my Member's statement from earlier where I was making mention of the fact that the surgery ward at Stanton Territorial Hospital has been closed on and off now for the past three years. It recently closed again for the summer and, as well, recently the patient lounge in that surgery ward was turned into a four-person office room. I'd like to ask the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services if it's the intent of the department and the hospital to turn that ward into an office wing of that hospital? Thank you.