Replacing existing winter roads will help us adapt to the pressure of climate change, which is reducing the window of access into more of these remote communities. Our winters are getting shorter and increasingly, warmer weather means that we cannot open up our winter roads as usual, as we've seen this year. This winter, our roads were late in opening resulting in an increased cost to our communities, delays in resupply, and decreased access to both residents and businesses.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Increasing the number of communities connected to the public highway system is a key objective of expanding the transportation system. Transportation of goods and materials by the roads continues to be the most cost-effective way to deliver essential services to the communities. Construction of the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Tlicho all-weather road will add several communities to the highway system and greatly increase the window of access provided by winter roads to many other communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The department is working closely with many regulators that have mandates regarding the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, including the Inuvialuit Land Administration and the Inuvialuit Water Board, as well as the departments of Lands and Environment and Natural Resources. Recognizing that the new highway will change access to fantastic nearby fisheries, the department has provided funding and other resources to fishery managers to create a fisheries management plan along the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway corridor. To satisfy wildlife commitments that came from the environmental assessment, DOT is working very closely with the local ENR office by supporting a dedicated ENR wildlife biologist. That biologist also works closely with the environment and wildlife monitors working for the ILA and for the contractor. These monitors are on site whenever there is active work going on, in order to observe the wildlife and report any potential impacts.

In addition, the department has three environmental staff dedicated to this project. One focuses on the regulatory requirements and environment commitments. Two others are located in Inuvik and are permanently working on the highway. They work with the contractors' staff, environmental and wildlife monitors, and any stakeholders and regulators to ensure nothing is missed and as issues arise.

The department has made over 230 commitments during the environmental assessment, and each one has been implemented, monitored, and reported on. Most of the commitments are also being tracked through the regulatory approval, such as land use permits and water licences. These permits and licences come with all typical monitoring and reporting, so there's constant and timely feedback. We track the status of all commitments on a real-time basis, and any issues or potential issues are brought forward to the management group on a timely action.

Delivering meaningful training opportunities contributes to a sustainable future of northern residents who wish to enter into the construction industry. To date, the contractors' training focuses have been on operating heavy equipment. As I mentioned earlier this week, more than 70 people from the region are now trained as heavy equipment operators, and more than 30 individuals have been trained as Class 1 and Class 3 drivers with air brakes. Another heavy equipment operator training course is going to be available for Beaufort-Delta residents in the 2016 season. Nine seats are available in a 15-week course that will be delivered in Fort Smith beginning in April.

We encourage residents to contact Aurora College for more information and apply on these courses. These training opportunities will provide valuable and transferable skills to allow residents to take advantage of job opportunities associated with other developments ongoing across the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is a national level strategic project that is much more than a construction of a highway. Both contractors, EGT and Northwind, are gaining experience in major construction project management, logistics management, human resource management, media relations, and financial management. This experience will give them the confidence to take on further challenges that will enable them and the people who work for them to be successful. This capacity building benefit will assist northern companies to become strong and capable, and have the confidence to take on future challenges. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Collaboration is one of the priorities of the Assembly and is an important part of how the Government of the Northwest Territories does business. That includes developing and fostering effective partnerships in supporting a comprehensive and collaborative approach to managing and conserving our environment and our wildlife, forests and water resources.

Engaging with a wide range of partners including Aboriginal governments and communities, regulatory and co-management boards, non-governmental organizations, funding agencies and academic institutions can ensure we are using the best available scientific, traditional, and local knowledge in decision-making processes.

Partnerships offer the opportunity to access additional scientific expertise, build community capacity and leverage additional funding to better inform our government of potential impacts on the environment from climate change and development. This increased knowledge will not only help us adapt to a changing climate, it will also better position us as a responsible manager of our land and our water.

Current examples of successful partnerships include the Mackenzie DataStream, a new community-based water data website funded by The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation in close collaboration with our government. We have also partnered on a new climate change prediction tool developed with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks for our communities. Another partnership led by the University of Alberta, our government, and the Mackenzie River Basin Board recently received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for a six-year traditional and local knowledge research project.

The main goal of the project is to determine and to demonstrate the importance of local and traditional knowledge to our understanding of social and ecological change in the Mackenzie River Basin and incorporation within regional, territorial, provincial, and federal decisions. These projects highlight the role that effective and diverse partnerships can play in meeting our research needs and the expectations of residents for wise and effective decision-making.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will continue to develop, foster, and promote effective partnerships, which meet its mandate and offer opportunities for Aboriginal and community capacity building. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Beginning in 2014, the federal government launched a review of the Canada Transportation Act. The purpose of this review was to look forward 20 to 30 years to identify priorities and potential actions in transportation that would support Canada's long-term economic well-being, including that of the Northwest Territories, or NWT, and northern Canada. During the review process, many Northerners contributed, including the Department of Transportation who developed a formal submission highlighting the opportunities and challenges of the NWT transportation system, and met and discussed it with the members of the review panel.

Last week the federal government tabled the final report resulting from this review. I'm pleased to note that several key recommendations for improving transportation in the North are included in the report. These recommendations include developing an infrastructure strategy for all modes of northern transportation, and supporting this strategy by increasing the base level funding in an infrastructure fund for all three territories. The Government of the NWT has consistently lobbied for dedicated base funding to address the needs of our jurisdiction and this recommendation is a positive indication that our voice is being heard.

In its submission to the review panel, the Department of Transportation strongly recommended federal support for key NWT transportation infrastructure projects. The development of three transportation corridors was identified as a priority in Connecting Us, the NWT Transportation Strategy 2015 to 2040, and as part of the 18th Assembly's mandate to capture opportunities for investment in transportation infrastructure that supports community access and economic growth. These efforts have proven effective. I am pleased to inform Members that the final report of the Canada Transport Act Review identifies the Mackenzie Valley corridor, the Tlicho all-season road, and connecting resource development projects in the Slave Geological Province to a larger multi-modal transportation system as transformative nation-building projects where federal corridor development efforts should be focused.

The federal government retains responsibility for the delivery of marine support services in the NWT, including the upkeep of marine resupply facilities. The review panel has recommended that Canada develop a new federal policy vision and regulatory regime that strengthens the safety and reliability of marine transport in the Arctic. Funding support for dredging the Port of Hay River is explicitly mentioned in the final report.

Several recommendations also extend to the northern air sector. Particularly, the report identifies the need to support runway extensions and paving, automated weather systems, and modern landing systems in many northern communities. Augmenting the Airports Capital Assistance the program by investing $50 million over 10 years, or creating a new Northern Airports Capital Assistance Program was also suggested.

The report recognizes that the effects of climate change are having a more dramatic impact on the North than anywhere else in Canada. The report highlights the need for the federal government to continue providing support for the technological innovation as a way to reduce emissions and enhance the performance of transportation systems.

The final report of the Canada Transportation Act Review provides a promising outlook on potential federal support for the NWT transportation system. Canada has committed to using unallocated funds from the National Infrastructure Fund of the New Building Canada Plan to respond to recommendations of the report. We will continue to stay engaged with our partners in the federal government as it responds to the review panel recommendations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents entitled, “Annual Report to the Legislative Assembly for 2015 under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act” and “The Waste Reduction and Recovery Program for 2014-2015 Annual Report.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.