Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that's a very fair question. We, in fact, do build -- that estimate I was given of sort of 7, $8 million, based on the cost of the Tlicho region winter roads; a significant difference being in the Tlicho region, the winter roads are over ice crossings whereas to Lutselk'e, we are looking at crossing Great Slave Lake, which is obviously a huge body of water, behaves extremely differently. There's significant winds, significant movement on a very deep lake. Pressure ridges develop. There's high risks of having open water at any given moment. Significant variances in ice thickness, significant variance in the currents on the lake which is simply not the same kind of engineering as what it might be on a smaller body of water. Different storm events, Mr. Speaker, and an inability to build maintenance camps on land as they would be throughout -- periodically across a different body of water. So, again, quite a significant series of challenges. It's not to say it's impossible but just as an explanation as to why it is much more complicated and much more expensive. Thank you.
Caroline Wawzonek on Question 613-20(1): Feasibility Study of Yellowknife to Lutselk'e Ice Road
In the Legislative Assembly on March 6th, 2025. See this statement in context.
Question 613-20(1): Feasibility Study of Yellowknife to Lutselk'e Ice Road
Oral Questions
March 6th, 2025
See context to find out what was said next.