Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know that while we did work hard with the capital estimates and trying to do the best with the limited resources that we had, but I am still very disappointed at the zero investment in Highway No. 7 for 2012-2013.
I was just recently in Fort Liard and I was speaking with the chief and the residents there, and one of our focuses, too, of the new Assembly is economic development and jobs and training, and the chief had actually said it’s no use talking about that if we can’t use the highways to get those investments
here. So Highway No. 7 is very critical to Fort Liard and to the Nahendeh riding.
I believe that the future of economic development is dependent on Highway No. 7 and the investment in projects like Canadian Zinc or any new emerging industries that may want to develop around Fort Liard and/or Fort Simpson. So I continue to highlight the importance of Highway No. 7 to the economic development of my region. I certainly would like to see more investment there.
I’m very pleased to hear about the $1.6 million worth of carry-over, and it’s work that should have been done this year. Despite that, at least it’s a little bit of investment for this coming year. I certainly would urge my colleagues and Cabinet and anybody from this House that this is definitely a priority as we move forward. I know that studies were done and proved that severe reconstruction of Highway No. 7 has to occur. However, we can at least start to piecemeal it. So that’s critical and I’ll continue to raise that.
In today’s Member’s statement I spoke about my smaller communities needing new schools. I raised a couple of issues about big megaprojects; I think it was the $100 million school in Inuvik, as well as $180 million bridge. I believe in our small communities. You know, we’re talking maybe a $4 million investment for a new school. It’s not very much money, and that’s why I believe that we can put it in the needs assessment or in our capital plan within the next five years. I truly believe that it is manageable to have investments in our regions and smaller communities. Their needs are just as important and they should be taken care of as well.
Another big emerging issue out of Fort Simpson is the planning study that was scheduled for the Fort Simpson Hospital. It may be in the O and M budget for 2012, but maybe the Minister can confirm that for me, whether it’s in the 2012-13 budget or else the 2013-14. That’s something that is critical. It’s another one of the infrastructures that you cannot defer much longer without getting into some serious issues up to and including even shutting down the hospital if need be.
As well, Trout Lake has always been wanting to get a snow blower for the existing airport. I believe that will assist their community. In fact, it will actually help them, I think, because they’ve had issues about the equipment taking out the runway lights. It’s very expensive to repair and they really believe that a snow blower will assist them in cleaning the airport and maintaining their current infrastructure.
Just in closing briefly, I know that any investment in Highway No. 7 has been red flagged, which means that if we do get any more capital dollars that they’ll certainly be highlighted, but there are other needs there. I’d just like the assurance of the Minister and of our government that if there indeed is any red flag money that Highway No. 7 definitely gets on it
and this does not get punched over to red flag D kind of list there, Mr. Chair. I don’t believe that if we’re going to set up a red flag list, you don’t bump it over again if there are any resources that do come open. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.