Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, transportation corridors, rail lines, roads, waterways, crisscross the vast reaches of our country. They are our economic lifeblood and connectors of communities. But here in the North, those connectors are woefully inadequate especially for travel from south to north. It’s the responsibility of the federal government to fund these new roads in Canada. We’ve known that for a long time. In fact, way back in 1958 the federal government announced that it would build a Mackenzie Valley Highway north to the coast. The Canadian government actually started construction in 1972 and 210 kilometres were completed, but in 1977 construction stalled and the highway ended 18 kilometres short of Wrigley.
Since then the federal government has been noticeably absent from any responsibility for new NWT highways and that accounts for the lack of a south/north route to connect our communities.
Over the years, the GNWT has had to step into this road construction void. We’ve completed the missing 18 kilometres of the Fort Simpson to Wrigley section of the highway; we’ve built bridges, affected alignments which enhanced the Mackenzie Valley Highway Winter Road and at the same time, year after year, NWT governments have continually requested funding for the completion of the highway from the federal government. But to no avail.
We’ve had the benefit of federal dollars to cost-share some of this work, but it’s to the detriment of our own financial resources. Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Speaker, the federal infrastructure programs are great and I welcome them, but new roads should not be at the expense of the GNWT.
Where is the Government of Canada in fulfilling their duty in constructing the roads to the North’s resources? Nowhere to be seen, I have to say. We need the federal government to stand up and be counted to accept their responsibility to the people of the North and the people of Canada and to provide the dollars necessary to complete the
Mackenzie Valley Highway and connect the North to the southern part of Canada.
Our communities need this highway, Mr. Speaker. Our government needs it, our economy needs it. It’s time for the federal government to see the same need. Thank you.
