Kevin A. Menicoche

I’m glad the Minister offered some kind of mechanism, because that is truly needed. They often bring their complaints either to the ferry operations at Ndulee and/or call the regional office. Often they don’t get adequate responses that they feel they should. If the Minister is offering a route that the community or community leadership can contact his office directly, I’d be pleased to hear about it.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Wrigley is a small community at kilometre 548 of the Mackenzie Highway in the beautiful Deh Cho region and Nahendeh riding. With its view of the Franklin Mountains, a trip between Wrigley and Fort Simpson is one of the Northwest Territories most scenic drives, yet it is another area of untapped tourism potential.

As a traveller on this highway said, this is where the Deh Cho becomes extraordinary, but this section of Highway No. 1 is also where the Deh Cho becomes extraordinarily dusty. The Department of Transportation website reports road bans in effect between...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to deliberate Tabled Document 17-17(3), Supplementary Estimates, No. 7; and Tabled Document 18-17(3), Supplementary Estimates, No. 4. Thank you very much.

I guess the key thing is the maintenance cycles. It seems that the department often skips it because of the lower volume of traffic. I don’t think this is right, because this highway is on the national highway system and it shouldn’t be dismissed just because there’s a lower amount of traffic. It’s equally important to that community and for the whole North as well.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I move that consideration of Tabled Document 27-17(3), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013, be now concluded, and that Tabled Document 27-17(3) be reported and recommended as ready for further consideration in formal session through the form of an appropriation bill. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I think that’s the type of dialogue we’re looking for – willingness – and not to say this is the way it’s going to be done. We worked hard for the last three weeks and it’s just that kind of openness and dialogue we’re prepared to continue on. It’s just that we need on record here today that if we’re not happy with this $300,000 ministerial forum, that government won’t proceed with it.

Thank you very much. I think that if the Minister can commit to do that, then certainly going with the old guidelines and procedures it’s just probably a non-starter right now and I think the best use of this money is once we have that discussion, then we can certainly roll it out to the communities. Thanks.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Committee wishes to review Tabled Document 27-17(3), Supplementary Estimates (Operations Expenditures), No. 1, 2012-2013.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a dramatic weekend in Nahanni Butte, Fort Liard and Fort Simpson. Melting snow and rain have swollen the Liard River to flood levels. The biggest emergency was in Nahanni Butte. Rising waters were lapping at the door of the power plant when finally it had to be shut down. With the power cut off, it was decided to evacuate the residents of the community to Fort Simpson by air and ground transportation. Fifty-two people were moved to safety.

The community of Fort Simpson has really come through. People have opened their homes, volunteered to help and worked hard to...

Thank you very much. We have a dialogue and that’s what we’d like to hear, and I’m pleased to be moving forward with the supplementary discussions.