Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, in regard to the capital estimates, I think that the Department of Transportation has to seriously look at the high cost of maintenance in regard to our highway systems, but more importantly, with the changing climate and the effects that we’re seeing, especially in regard to some sort of...You know, we talk about dust control, we talk about some sort of a road resurfacing appliance that we can put on our roads. I know there are different products that are out there, but I think, as a government, we have to seriously start testing these products on the highways that basically have a hardtop. I think that we’ve seen what it’s done in regard to Highway No. 3 and how we’ve seen an increase in regard to paving and chipseal. I think we also have to look at other new initiatives that are out there for resurfacing. There are appliances we’ve put on our airports. I know in Aklavik they use it. Also, there are new products out there. I know in the past we have requested from the Dempster Highway to try to do some of this resurfacing as a pilot project. We can maybe try it out on the issue in regard to potholes and the cost of maintenance in regard to Highway No. 7, Highway No. 8, and especially where we have major O and M costs associated with having to go out every time there’s a rainstorm, because of the potholes, or looking at the possibility of trying these new appliances for resurfacing.
So I would just like to ask the Minister of Transportation, would he consider looking at going forward in the capital budget to look at the possibility of doing some of these sorts of pilot projects? I mentioned Highway No. 7, Highway No. 8. Maybe just outside the communities so we can see how it holds up. Like, most of the communities, basically, do have some means of applying surface materials. Like in McPherson now we basically have chipseal on the main street, which the municipality sort of manages. Either from the community to the garbage dump or from the
community out to the ferry landing, whatever. But I think it’s something that this government has to seriously consider looking at, especially looking at that as a pilot project. So I’d just like to ask the Minister, has your department considered looking at that in light of the high cost of O and M in regard to resurfacing our highways every time we have either a snowstorm or basically have a major downpour of rain in which we see potholes? That’s when we seem to get the majority of the complaints from the general public. So I’d like to ask, is that something the department is considering looking at?