Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Just in terms of the capital infrastructure that’s
planned for next year.
Of course, I’m certainly
pleased to see the investment into Highway No. 7, the resources that are going there. It’s something that has been high on my agenda and will continue to be so.
It’s $3 million a year, and certainly, it will
help with that highway.
Because I’ve always said, as
part of our tourism plan, as well as to have a good solid highway, we can truly continue to sell the Deh Cho Trail which means coming in through Alberta and exiting through BC, or vice versa. It will be a boon to our economy.
I noted in transportation, as well, that we’ve got some chipsealing program, and residents of Fort Simpson and Fort Liard are very pleased to see additional chipsealing happening at about almost 20 kilometres per year, and we’d certainly like to see more, but I’ll continue to press for that and hopefully the department and Cabinet is in concurrence.
As well, when I speak about highways and the Highway No. 1 investment is also in the budget and I’d like to push that highway north of Fort Simpson towards Wrigley be included in some of the upgrades and investments.
That’s another road, too, that
definitely needs attention.
A couple of things that are sitting with P and P committee reviewing the infrastructure investment, it’s certainly missing in the short term, the Fort Simpson Health Centre. It’s slated for ’22-23, but it
was certainly bandied about that it would be in the ’17-18 capital project. This whole term I have been speaking about it and it was red flagged and imminently being put in the capital plan along with the planning study. I kept asking every six months where the planning study was at. It’s the government’s own engineer’s report that said this building is over 40 years old and needs to be replaced. I just don’t see how we can continue to put it off. That is something that is high on my agenda. Hopefully we will get the planning study concluded. In fact, Mr. Chair, with your assistance we found documentation that said that the planning study was indeed completed. Now they are saying i
t’s not, but
certainly I know we have lots of major infrastructure planned in the 18th Assembly. I believe and know
that due to public interest this older hospital has to be completed, much like a priority of the government to do the Stanton. This one is a priority, so we will have a discussion at the appropriate time, but I would certainly like to see that moved up to ’17-18 where it used to be.
I am also pleased to see the investment and Trout Lake’s concurrence about retrofitting the Trout Lake School expansion and make full use of the building for the schooling needs. This is one of the few communities in the North with a growing population. There are a lot of young people moving back with young children. In fact, I think there are 18 to 21 students in Trout Lake. It definitely needs expansion of the school. You can’t do it in a one-room schoolhouse.
With
their
concurrence
about
renovating the existing school, they are going to lose their community centre. That is a focal point to Trout Lake. It is used six days a week. I would like to speak about that. You are going to need a replacement community hall.
As well, there is a much needed seniors home built in Fort Liard this year. I know it was supposed to be completed this year, but they had a late start. I
don’t
know if the Minister can comment on that. We will see the completion in 2016 definitely.
Another way that our capital projects help our communities is with Cabinet’s concurrence and agreement with negotiated contracts with proximity communities and
local businesses. I’m glad we do
have this policy. It’s really, really needed. I’m glad that Cabinet continues to work with that to develop our local base, our local capacity and the merging small businesses in the small communities that do need the type of support of a negotiated contact, with the concurrence of our current leadership meeting the bands and municipalities. It is beneficial to the communities when the work can be local and we are generating income. I have made the case in the past where we have given contracts to BC companies and they were bringing in their own fuel, bringing in their own men and we generated revenue through taxation. If these people aren’t living and working in the North, then we’re not generating revenue from
giving it to
a southern company. I’m a strong
supporter of the negotiated contract. Our capital investment is stimulating our economy and I’m supportive of it and urge Cabinet to continue to do that.
Those are my comments, Mr. Chair. Thank you.