Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, along with my honourable colleague Mr. Menicoche, mentioned to the Department of Transportation and I also want to ask the Minister, once you’ve finished your discussions in Nahendeh, if they could bring their plans and their hardhats and their monies up to the Sahtu. Oh yes, we still need to build a highway in the Sahtu, so we would like to join that discussion one day down the road.

The first highway in the North was built in 1943-44 from Norman Wells to the Yukon border, famously known as the Canol Road. It was built by 30,000 men and women in 13 months. Although with it, they built a pipeline and a telephone line, and they were guided by the Aboriginal people.

It was built because the U.S. government said we’re going to build this road, you’re either with us or not. It has to be built for national security. They needed the Sahtu oil for a greater cause.

Only after 20 years did we see the construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Alberta up north in the ‘50s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Even in 2010 we saw construction of the highway in the Northwest Territories, and now we’re waiting for ours in the Sahtu region.

In the ‘70s the model Hire North was used to construct the highway. It went as far as Wrigley. Today we’re seeing the extension of the Dempster Highway, known as the Inuvik-Tuk highway. From what we saw, it’s a great success for the people in that area.

We are waiting now to see the beginning of the Mackenzie Valley Highway from Wrigley north. Let me explain in three points why we need to keep this portion of this lifelong dream of Diefenbaker’s Roads to Resources alive and become a reality.

1. The training opportunities. We have a high rate

of graduates in the Sahtu who are ready to work. We have a high rate of youth in our region that are ready to work. Our needs assessment research shows that we have a high number – close to 300 people – willing to work together, ready to work.

2. Employment versus unemployment.

I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted