The communities in the Sahtu have voiced a lot of concern about safety issues and great improvements to this road for quite a while and there has been attention paid. We have been investing some dollars over the last at least dozen years to improve the road system and I think we are starting to see the results of that.

There have been a lot of bridges built. We have committed and have embarked on putting up signs. There is going to be roughly 98 to 100 signs that will be placed at five-kilometre intervals between Wrigley and Fort Good Hope. There will be over 400 signs, warning signs, over 150 hazard marker signs at the bridges and there is going to be 21 directional signs. We are also going to be putting up signs, or have put up signs, that will identify the creeks and there will be other information signs that will be put up. Mr. Chairman, we are putting a total of 700 signs up in and on the winter road system.

We are doing a lot of work to realign different parts of the road, including Bosworth Creek. We will do more grade improvements at Bogg Canyon and also erosion control at Tulita bypass and other areas. We will do grade work to improve the site distance. We also have the ability now to provide highway patrol in the Sahtu and we expect that will have an effect as there is going to be a stronger presence in the region.

So there is a lot of work and we know the condition impacts all of its users. We know the condition impacts all of the communities and we will continue to provide improvements to the Mackenzie Valley winter road and also to the community of Deline that is in the Member’s riding. That, along with Colville Lake, will receive investment in this budget. Thank you.