Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is more in regard to the bridges in the Northwest Territories. It seems we’ve put a lot of focus on the bridges in the Mackenzie Valley. I mean the issue on that one was mostly around environmental liability issues in regard to Fisheries and Oceans and also extending the seasons for those roads. I know I’ve mentioned it in this House before. Have we looked at the possibility of replacing our ferry operations with permanent bridges so that we can get that 12 month a year access?
Also, looking at the studies, I know using the Peel River there were studies back in the ‘60s where they did some studies with Public Works Canada and again back in the mid-‘80s again with Public Works Canada. I think as a department we seem to be not really looking at the long-term costs of replacing the ferries versus the cost at some point of putting permanent bridges in place like we’ve done in the Sahtu. I think that we have enough expertise now over the years of looking at bridges. Like you say with regards to Blackwater, it’s a $50 million bridge. I think we have to start looking at that aspect of it.
From the research I’ve done, a lot of the engineering and design work was done back in the ‘60s where a lot of the information available today on even the locations that they had for crossings where they did for studies is not ideal for a bridge.
So I’d like to ask the department in regard to planning dollars and money that you have, is there any possibility of any investment research funds looking at core sampling or looking at locations such as the Peel River to see where the ideal location will be and trying to find out if it’s economically viable to do those studies to see exactly where the best economy crossing would be if you ever had to put a bridge in place knowing that the site that’s there right now is not ideal for a bridge?