I really do appreciate the Member’s concern. I’ve been there a number of times and talked to a number of people in the communities in the Sahtu and it is a pressing issue.
Here in the Northwest Territories, we have over 1,200 kilometres of winter road. It’s a lifeline for a number of communities around the Northwest Territories. It’s important, first and foremost, that they’re safe.
Over the past 10 years, the Department of Transportation, into the winter roads in the Sahtu, has put in permanent bridges. About $60 million was spent on those permanent bridges.
I mentioned earlier, we are addressing Bob’s Cannon, Strawberry Creek, Prohibition Creek and Four Mile. In very short order here, those will be done. That will lend itself to further safety on the winter road. Again, it really does set the stage for the Mackenzie Valley Highway and getting a permanent all-weather road down the Mackenzie Valley. We’re anxious to continue to pursue that. In the meantime, we have to do what we can with the existing winter road system in the region and in the territory.
As I mentioned earlier, partnering with industry is a good thing to be doing, working with communities. That’s what we intend to do. We intend to work with whoever will work with us. We only have so many capital dollars to go around. In this year’s capital plan, we’ve done our best to try to address the things we need to address, but I do appreciate and hear the concerns that the Member has. I believe wholeheartedly, as things progress there, and as the resources are proven up, and if it does get to production and commercialization, both the federal government and our government are going to need to react to that and find the capital dollars to invest in the Sahtu. I can see that happening in the next three to five years, Madam Chair. Thank you.