Michael McLeod

Mr. Chairman, we have in several communities done the very thing the Member is suggesting. Not all have continued to deliver, of course, but it is something we certainly can suggest to the community. I believe and expect that that has happened already, but we will make the gesture to the Municipality of Paulatuk. Of course, it would be up to them whether they wanted to agree to take it on or not. Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chairman, this is a program where we work with the communities to try to schedule visits. We certainly have room to enhance those visits. We try to allow the community to set the agenda or set the schedule. If there’s a need to go into Mr. Jacobson’s riding, we just need an invitation and we’ll have our staff in with a mobile unit.

Mr. Chairman, the money that’s allocated in this budget line is for airfare, for any air charters, accommodations, meals or incidentals. There is, and have been, communities that have requested us to come into the community to either explain the program, to assist with some of the technical areas, to ask for advice or to help them put the proposal together. A portion of these dollars are earmarked for that service.

There would be no need for the ferry or the ice road once the bridge is open.

Mr. Chairman, the answer that the Member is referencing has been part of the Slave Geological Study is correct. That’s the contract that I was referring to and, yes, we do have members of the Yellowknives Dene First Nations working with us in consideration of this project. They have representation on the steering committee and we’re also, of course, as you know, Mr. Chairman, we have been talking to the Yellowknives Dene on doing some partnership project work that needs to be done on the Dettah access road.

Mr. Chairman, I hear the Member’s request for us to keep moving forward on the Highway No. 7 portion of the Deh Cho loop. We have all intentions of doing that. We are hoping to have all our engineering requirements that would give us a better ability to develop a long-term strategic plan for improvements on the road. We also, as part of the Deh Cho loop have done quite a bit of work on Highway No. 1 in terms of upgrading, reconstruction and also chipsealing. We’d like to continue that and that would really enhance a good part of what’s considered the Deh Cho loop.

We are also working in the...

Mr. Chairman, there are a number of benefits that could be brought forward and pointed to as the discussion moves forward on lengthening the airport runways. Right now the domestic flights we feel are okay. It would be probably a desire to have the polar flights have the ability to land at our airports and take off from the airport. Right now they can land but they would have to restrict their weight as they left. That is the challenge. We still need to be able to put the business case together. We need to be able to demonstrate the need. I am not sure if we can do that at this point and...

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, with me today on my right I have Mr. Russell Neudorf, deputy minister of Transportation. On my left I have Mr. Daniel Auger, the assistant deputy minister of Transportation.