I certainly can confirm that option three corridor has been discontinued. It does not meet the needs of what the team requires. We have recognized that this is a remediation project but it’s also the Ingraham Trail Realignment Project that has to fit along both the group’s needs or both the project needs. We are not looking at this point to deal with any additional camping space for Fred Henne Park. That’s not something that’s part of this project.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all I have to thank the Member for being patient on this project, something that all of us had to do as we waited for the remediation team to put their plans together.

A lot of that work has been concluded. We’ve taken the opportunity over the last while to meet with the various organizations, including the remediation team and the Public Works and Government Services Canada to look at the different issues that needed to be addressed. We’ve also been meeting with the Aboriginal governments in the area, and we now have a schedule, and that schedule involves planned construction for this coming fall. That means there is a lot of work to do.

We want to conclude some of our final discussions on the route, we want to be able to put the business plan together for all the stakeholder requirements and to have construction move forward. The different routes have been narrowed from three down to two, after we had the remediation team reject one of the routes as it wasn’t suitable for what they needed. So there is work that is happening. There is a lot of work that needs to be done in the next six months, but we would like to meet the schedule, have the construction start, have a construction period and have the realignment open by the fall or early winter of 2012. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to welcome everybody here today. I want to especially recognize an inductee to the Hall of Fame, a well-known educator from Fort Providence, Ms. Margaret Field. She’s been working for many years at the school and more recently as an adult educator. She was here as a senior parliamentarian and did a very good job. I want to say congratulations to her. I also wanted to congratulate her on her most recent addition to her clan, her recent grandchild that was born about a month ago.

I also wanted to, since I don’t get very many visitors here, recognize a former resident of Fort Providence, Ms. Ethel Blondin-Andrew and her husband. I want to say welcome to them, too.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Deh Cho Bridge Act, be read for the first time.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 16, 2011, I will move that Bill 16, An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicles Act, be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, May 16, 2011, I will move that Bill 15, An Act to Amend the Deh Cho Bridge Act, be read for the first time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The answer is yes. We are bringing legislation forward for introduction during this session.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide Members with an update on the Deh Cho Bridge.

Mr. Speaker, in the past six months two major reports have been released: The Levelton Report and the Auditor General’s report. The Levelton Report was a review of the Deh Cho Bridge phase 1 substructure design and construction. The report confirms that once work to address some minor deficiencies is complete, the phase 1 works are structurally sound. The Department of Transportation has developed an action plan that is addressing all of the issues identified in the report.

The Auditor General’s report has made a number of recommendations, which we have accepted, and provided overall assurance and comfort that the bridge is safe and is being built to the required standards.

Currently, the contractor is working on the south side of the river. Steel truss sections continue to arrive on site and their assembly is ongoing. Once the river is free of ice, the contractor will reinstall the south side work-bridge and temporary bents or supports. The contractor will then launch the truss on the south side and install the towers and cables to support the centre span.

Mr. Speaker, as I reported in the last sitting of the Legislative Assembly, the contractor has expressed uncertainty about the completion date because critical bridge steel components arrived late. At the time, the impact on the construction schedule was unclear, but there was an expectation that the contractor could make up the lost time. It was also

indicated that the schedule is a contractor responsibility and that additional information would be available in the spring, once more information was known about the progress achieved during the winter. We continue to emphasize that safety and quality are of utmost importance as this work proceeds.

Mr. Speaker, the contractor has indicated that completion could be delayed. Information provided by the contractor indicates that the superstructure trusses, towers and cables were not completed during the past winter because of the late arrival of steel. As a result, certain weather-sensitive construction activities, such as paving, constructing concrete curbs and grouting of deck panels, are unlikely to begin before winter. Our environment is not one that is conducive to conducting these construction activities in the winter.

Mr. Speaker, we’re asking the contractor to provide us with a revised schedule that takes into account fully the events to date and to substantiate the reasons. We will examine this closely to determine what steps to take next. Our primary concern is that the bridge is built safely and to the highest standards so that it can perform as expected during its 75-year design life without unnecessary added maintenance.

Mr. Speaker, the precise impact of a possible delay on the total capital cost of the project cannot be determined at this time. The scope of work will not change significantly, however, so we are not anticipating there will be any additional capital costs to complete construction.

Mr. Speaker, the GNWT’s focus is on completing the Deh Cho Bridge without compromising either quality or safety. It is well-designed and will meet or exceed Canada’s National Bridge Code in all respects throughout the 75-year design life. It will be a vital link that will benefit NWT residents for many years to come.