Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this past four weeks my Member's statements focused on those issues residents of Hay River have concerns with and that have implications for the continued existence of our community.

Madam Speaker, one must realize, and as long as I can remember, the community of Hay River has relied on the presence of marine transportation infrastructure, whether for commercial fishing or the transportation of goods and equipment. Without a navigable harbour and channel, we may well lose our ability to provide a service that, for decades, has sustained our community and provided services to northern communities and regions accessible only by marine vessels and air.

Madam Speaker, losing the harbour could result in:

• losing marine infrastructure;
• losing the coast guard base;
• losing fisheries and oceans; and,
• the demise of the commercial fishing industry.

That, Madam Speaker, would further impact other Hay River infrastructure, business, and jobs. It may also result in an exodus of residents who find themselves unemployed and with no employment opportunities within the community. We are already seeing a decline in our population, and we must do something to reverse that before it becomes a trend.

Madam Speaker, if access to the harbour is lost, where would that leave Hay River and the Northwest Territories? Currently, we all know that the railhead terminates in Hay River, and we all know that highway freight destined for those isolated and remote communities, or resource development projects, ends up at Island C where it is transferred to barges.

Madam Speaker, we have Cheetah Resources on the east side of Great Slave Lake needing access to our harbour for marshalling of their rare earth mineral concentrate. We have Osisko Metals needing the railhead to transport ore from the old Pine Point mine site to processing facilities in the south. We have projects, such as Sabina Gold in Nunavut, relying on our harbour to get material and equipment to site.

Madam Speaker, as this House does not resume sitting until February next year, then going forward and at every opportunity between now and then, I expect this government to relay a strong message to the federal government and that message being that the revitalization of the Hay River Harbour is a priority for the stakeholders, for the town of Hay River, and for the Northwest Territories, and that we need their support. Thank you, Madam Speaker.