Thank you, Mr. Chair. The motion speaks to the support that’s needed in the Mackenzie Valley winter road system. Looking at the infrastructure and hearing the Minister talk, I appreciate his continuous effort to negotiate with the oil and gas industry and seeing what they’re going to do to support their operations. It’s in their best interest to seek the most advantageous road system going up from Wrigley to Norman Wells. Sometimes I wonder if the oil industry wasn’t there, then we wouldn’t have much additional dollars here. I’m wondering if this here is we’re relying on the oil company to help us out in this area here, and sometimes that’s not too good because we’re waiting for them, because in here we really have nothing. If the oil industry walks away and says
sorry, we’re not going to negotiate as much as you think and they can give you whatever reason. But we are relying on the oil and gas industry to help us with the infrastructure. It should be ours. This is a public winter road system that we should be able to put money in to help with the road.
I do know that they’re hoping that the federal government would approve the Corridors for Canada III for future funding, and the Bear River, the Oscar and Bosworth are bridges that certainly need attention. The Bear River is close to $7 million. Oscar needs to be rejigged and put back in to its proper place. The Minister and I drove past that bridge last year and it’s a bridge certainly sitting there doing nothing. If you want to look at efficiency of the government’s and taxpayers’ dollars, it’s just sitting there while we have to go around. We want to really look at those types of situations. The Bosworth is just outside the roads of Norman Wells.
Again, I ask for support because there are going to be a lot of trucks on the winter road. Safety is number one. There were a lot of close calls on the winter road last year. The Minister outlined some provisions to have some safety mechanisms in place. It’s good in theory, but in practicality, when you drive that winter road, you drive it, actually, for dear life. The government needs to put some infrastructure and straighten out those roads, straighten out those bends, and look at those hills. It has to be done. It’s no different than any other road in the Northwest Territories. I think my people in the Sahtu, their lives are worth it. I’m asking this motion here to ask the government to reconsider, and I would appreciate the support from all Members. Thank you.