Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I still have more yet to do. I’d also like to recognize the hardworking community health rep, Ms. Gloria Hardisty, from Wrigley. As well, once in a while we get somebody who gets their name mentioned about three or four times, Ms. Karen McLeod of Fort Liard. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

[Translation] It seems like it’s going to be a little hard for aboriginal people in the Nahendeh riding...[Translation ends]

…has managed to increase its available and public homeownership housing stock. This is very good news. Unfortunately, in regard to homeownership, there appears to be problems matching available homes with residents who can purchase them. Residents are frustrated at the narrow programming guidelines of the Housing Corporation.

It seems that the people who have a decent income and can afford to buy and maintain a home are the ones who cannot access...

I don’t see why we can’t commit to the future there. If once the engineering report is complete, I would certainly like to see a developed work plan and at least we have that for the future, something to work with, because I believe that that baseline work will certainly confirm and at least solidify a departmental plan when it comes to expenditures and, of course, the degradation of the road, it would be nice to have that engineering study to do it, because the residents already know it there, Mr. Chair. Yes, I would certainly like to see a well-developed work plan and, of course, I would...

Just in terms of Fort Liard, or actually kilometre, I think, 0 to 38, which is the Fort Liard access, how much of that $4 million will be dedicated to that section there, Mr. Chair? Thank you.

I’m glad the Minister laid out that plan and it’s something that we certainly look forward to, but the chipsealed section from Checkpoint towards Fort Simpson is slated for some work. If the Minister can comment on that, because there are several sections that do need to be replaced. As well as from the ferry crossing at the Liard crossing toward Fort Simpson there are sections of chipseal that need that remediation work as well. Is that some of the priority of the Department of Transportation as well? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Member’s statement and questions earlier today, I wish to table an article from the September 2, 2010, edition of the Deh Cho Drum entitled State of School Playground Sparks Parent’s Concern. Mr. Speaker, the article describes the hazardous conditions of the Bompas Elementary School’s playground in Fort Simpson and calls upon school, government and community groups to pull together to solve the problems being experienced at the playground. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I’d like to thank the Minister for those answers. Just to reiterate one more time, that at anytime that there’s a federal meeting, that he just continue to raise the issue that we want tourists and Canadians to view our spectacular North at Highway No. 7 at Fort Liard. It is one of the entry points and tourism numbers by road that Parks Canada just released that they’ve increased fly-ins into Nahanni National Park and I’m glad for that, but drive-ins, the numbers are just that much poorer, Mr. Chair, and it’s because of the condition of the road. I know that the amount of investment that the...

When the Minister and I were in Fort Liard a couple of weeks ago, residents, of course, expressed the interest of getting that section chipsealed or a portion thereof. Is that something that the Department of Transportation can look at? Because some sections are... Actually, they have been completed for a couple of years now. I don’t know if 0 to 38...38 kilometres there would be doable. If not, Mr. Chair, can the Minister at least commit to some kind of a work plan that within the perhaps three years that’s something that the department is looking at seriously, and up to and including on the...

If the Minister can keep my office advised so that we can provide an opportunity for the Village of Fort Simpson to do some cost savings when that equipment is in the area.

Of course, the second one I raised in the House last week was the condition and work plan for Highway No. 7. I’m still curious about that. The Minister did indicate that the waiting on the engineering study was going to be completed this fall. I assume that it’s completed by now. When will they assess the engineering work that was completed? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Chipsealing Highway No. 7, I’ll get to that later, but firstly I’m glad to see, of course, more expenditure on Highway No. 1, and especially the work that was done this year. Our constituents were very pleased with the first, I think it was 35 kilometres of chipseal from the Providence junction towards Fort Simpson. Perhaps if the Minister can elaborate on further work that’s going to happen within that section and if there are any other sections that will be completed this year towards Fort Simpson, and up to and including if there’s an opportunity for the...