Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Premier has already outlined the scrutiny that this project has been under since inception. This motion that has been put forward by the Member is really a call for what already occurs. The Auditor General already conducts an audit of the Deh Cho Bridge Project through the consolidated financial statements. We as a department, as well as other departments, cooperate fully with the Office of the Auditor General as they perform this audit. In the past year we’ve already provided reports and other information requested by their office and will continue to do so.

I think...

Mr. Speaker, so the Member could sleep at night, we will assure him that all the projects are moving forward as we have projected and as we have reported to the Members with our capital planning over the last year and this year. We don’t anticipate any effect as a result of the Deh Cho Bridge. The projects that were carried over will move forward as soon as possible if conditions are permitting and the other contracts are already being considered for awarding too. I think we are going to see a lot of work happening this summer. We should have a good construction year, again depending on rain...

Mr. Speaker, I am checking in my binder to see if I can find that date. Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure the Member that we, in my discussions with our staff -- and I apologize that I don’t have the date on the top of my head -- but in our discussions with our staff, Public Works, we don’t anticipate that there will be any slippage on the time frame. We are working toward the site. We are also working towards schematics and things of that nature, so it is all being moved forward as a package. I can reassure the Member that we will have those decisions made in a timely manner so the project is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We did have the opportunity to visit Hay River, along with yourself and Mrs. Groenewegen, to look at one of the potential sites or relocation, providing the hospital project goes ahead with some sites that they require movement of other departments. We had a very good visit. We had a facility that was very attractive. We had indicated at that time that we would provide some staff to do further follow-up in terms of what it would cost, what operating costs are, what kind of land is available and things of that nature. I also had the opportunity to look at a number of...

That cause for concern has been looked at for a couple of years now. Our people have been monitoring the situation. As the Member brought the issue forward to me last year, I had our officials confirm that there is an issue there. They went to the site again and there are plans being made to remedy the situation. We’ll share that information with the Member and provide the reassurance that it’s not going to collapse or that the testing is done to ensure the safety factor will not be a concern anymore.

As we move forward on trying to develop our roads, reconstruct our roads, we also want to improve the amount of chipseal and hardtop that we have on our infrastructure. We know that by having a long-term plan and commitment that, providing it’s feasible, providing it’s viable, providing it’s something that will be durable enough to put on to the Dempster and into the Delta, this will create opportunity. We know, having looked at the southern end of the Territories where we have been doing it for quite a few years now, we have companies here in Yellowknife and in Hay River that are generating a...

The Member asked about when we were officially notified and I gave him that response. Our last drawdown was in December. We had informed Members that there was some concern that the lenders had issued a notice of default and it may result in complications with the project. Probably around the middle -- I don’t have an exact date -- of February we had some discussions with the lenders. At that time they indicated to us that there was going to be some ability to be flexible and officially we did not have anything in writing until March 1st. We informed the members of standing committee on the...

Mr. Chairman, this company is bonded as we would bond any other company with our projects. They have a 50 percent performance bond that they provided.

Mr. Chairman, the Government of the Northwest Territories will control the fund. There is a requirement in the clause that he’s referring to to have a separate accounting of the revenues and expenditures. So that will also be accounted for and provided separate from our overall government accounting. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide Members and the public with an update on the status of construction on the Deh Cho Bridge Project.

This project has had its share of challenges, but these challenges have been effectively addressed. As a result, I am pleased to note that the project is now 50 percent complete, with the recent completion of the foundation work. The bridge contractor, Ruskin Construction, has completed installing the pier bents and is now in the process of removing the temporary bridge. The bridge project is now “out of the water,” leaving behind the...