Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. As such, it’s a priority in the CSIF strategy document for our government to build that bridge and it still is a priority for us to construct the Bear River Bridge. However, financing right now due to increasing inflationary pressures have put it out of reach of our current budget and that’s what we’re looking at right now, Mr. Speaker. Thanks.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Our Chipseal Program is something that we monitor. There is a five-year cycle for it; it takes about five years for the chipseal…It does deteriorate. We do have an annual budget to address this on Highway No. 3. that’s about $650,000 to $700,000. The first sections that were done on Highway No. 3 were about five years ago and we’re addressing those right now, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The department takes great pride in all its projects. We complete them to the best of our ability and we will continue to do so. We pride the contractors that work for our department as well. The Member did mention that climate change is affecting the highway and we do maintain that, as well, Mr. Speaker. There are many, many ice lenses that were discovered during construction and we continue to repair those and mitigate them as conditions dictate. Mahsi.

The concerns raised on Highway No. 3 have been raised by the chief of Behchoko as well as the MLA…

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I’ll be pleased to add that to the agenda at our upcoming meeting. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The Tlicho road studies and the $460,000 contribution from the federal government, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. It’s a study to assess the routes to the Tlicho communities. I think the important message here, Mr. Speaker, is that Tlicho communities will be getting seasonal roads in the long term, Mr. Speaker, and with or without the mines running through them, without the mine road running through there, and it will be a priority of our government, improving the access to all Tlicho communities and we will begin talking about it in the business...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, we have, as a government, been advocating that getting a long-term road into the Slave Geological Province is a priority and we are working with the federal officials to that end. As well, there’s many different options available out there and we’re exploring them all, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m not quite sure if I heard the Member correctly, but I think he said we spent $100 million and I’d like to correct that. The government has not expended any money in air lifting freight over to the mining companies at all, but there is a joint venture with all the mines that have done an alternative transportation study and we are working with them to define what kind of role the government would have in that road, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. The developments in Nunavut are all part of the joint venture plans. It’s something that government is outside the process. It’s their initiative and if that’s what they would like to plan for and proceed with, they can do that. But as for ourselves, we have been working closely with the Tlicho chiefs and we have established the steering committee to look at the Tlicho road studies and we have been to the communities to advise them and discuss this project. There is a draft consultation plan, which we have yet to go over one more time and that’s the...

Mr. Speaker…(English not provided)

Mr. Speaker, the roads to the Tlicho area are very important and we have been working very hard with the Tlicho Government to that respect. We have set up a Tlicho Road Studies Committee and we have been meeting early in the summer and we do have another meeting planned for the last week in August. Mahsi.