Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Aklavik ice road closed about one week earlier than normal this year. This raises major concerns about how supplies would get into the community, and also about the lack of consultation with residents.
Mr. Speaker, Aklavik's 85 kilometre winter road is a vital link for the community, connecting people, goods, and services to the region. Goods and services are very expensive in Aklavik, like they are in all our remote communities. The ice road is used to transport things like heavy equipment and fuel that cannot be brought in during the rest of the year. This year, government inspectors noticed open water on the side of the road and closed the road early, without advising or consulting the community.
Mr. Speaker, the department didn't listen to the contractor with years of experience or consider traditional knowledge of the area. The open water that inspectors saw is well known by the ice road builders who have dealt with it for many years. They know that there is a sandbar in this area and that, in the spring, this thaws faster in this spot. The ice road was still over four to five feet thick at that time. In that one little section, people just pulled further over to the side of the road when they passed by. There is nothing wrong with that, Mr. Speaker. Instead, the ice road was closed with very little notice. People were counting on the last part of the ice road season to bring supplies in from Inuvik. The hamlet also had supplies en route to the community, including a steamer that would be used to unplug culverts around the community. Mr. Speaker, ice roads will continue to be important in our region. The government and communities need to work together to sustain their operation in the best way possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.