Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Member is kind of all over the place there. First of all, we need to pursue some of this private work. If we don't pursue some of this private work that's out there, the cost with running this operation would be enormous. I don't think the Member would like to see $5 a litre in the communities because, if all of a sudden, you shrink your market to where it's half the size of what you have and you continue to have a fixed cost to run this operation, the costs are going to be horrendous.
We are operating this asset exactly the way and pursuing revenues just like the company that ran it previously to us, without any effects on the market. Our staff was just recently in Cambridge Bay discussing with community members the challenges that we had this season. They made it quite clear to us when we were there, they do not want us to pull out of their market. They have made it very clear. They have had three other sailing ships that already service their community this year.
As the deputy said, there are a number of people in these communities that want their services, goods brought out of Hay River. They don't want to be bringing it from Vancouver or around from Montreal. There is a place in this market. It is a small market. Everyone's doing their own thing, and we will continue to pursue the private-sector business to offset our costs to run this operation.
We have clearly laid out what the deputy said with the data and information we are trying to pull together. We are going to make a decision in the long-run if we are going to make this a Crown corporation or other business models or what other options are available to us. It does not make sense for us not to pursue some of these other opportunities that lay out there. There are a number of people out there that can't do what MTS does. They don't have the low-draft barges. They don't have the type of equipment that we do. They don't have the staffing that we do.
At this point, on the floor of this House, we are going to continue to commit to pursuing other revenue sources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.