Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we all know, the highway between High Level and Enterprise was closed two days ago because of a fire near Steam River. The only rail line into the territory has been shut down for a week because of the fire by High Level. Many of my constituents, myself included, are concerned about the situation. I want to bring those concerns to this House so that the government knows that, even though the source of the problem is in Alberta, that highway is a lifeline for the entire territory and this issue has consequences for all of our residents.
If this closure goes on for any length of time, it will begin to have an effect on the cost of living. The vast majority of goods that come into the NWT come right up that stretch of highway. It is about 1,100 kilometres from Edmonton to Hay River through Alberta. The alternate route through BC is almost 1,900 kilometres. While it is a scenic drive, it basically doubles the driving time, which means doubling the cost of shipping, leading to higher prices on nearly everything. It is also going to be a hit for small businesses, who will have to absorb the cost of those increase, at least in the short term, and who may not be able to work and generate income if there is a disruption in their supply chain. That is the last thing we need in this economy.
Every day that highway is closed also cuts into our tourist season, which, in the South Slave, isn't that long, so every single day is important. The economic effects won't just be limited to the South Slave or even to just communities on the highway system. All the fuel that MTS ships into the communities up through Mackenzie and in the Arctic is transported to the terminal in Hay River by rail. These fires have the potential to once again delay the marine resupply or, at the very least, cause the cost of shipping to rise.
Mr. Speaker, this isn't just an economic issue. It's a serious public safety issue, as well. Conditions in the South Slave are dry. The fire danger is high or extreme in every community. We are only a three-hour drive from High Level and half that to Steam River. If the worst happens and the resident of Hay River need to evacuate, that highway closure means one of our main routes, really our primary route out of town, is cut off.
I have spoken with the Town of Hay River, and I am happy to hear that they are convening a meeting of the Community Emergency Management Committee tomorrow to figure out how they are going to address this issue. I will have questions for our Minister to find out what the GNWT is doing to deal with this situation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.