Tom Beaulieu

One of the reasons that we’re going through the claim process is to determine what the claim would be. Currently we know, one thing we do know is that the majority of the potential claims would be in the future. It’s something that would be looked at as year three and year four construction winds down. So, what we’ve done is we’ve divided the potential claim. There is actually no claim yet, but the potential claim has been divided in two. It’s $12 million for the construction to date. That’s what we’re engaging in now. The $20 million potential claim is for the coming construction.

What’s...

The Member is correct. Of course, the writ will be dropping within probably the next four weeks or so. So, I guess we will ensure that the Members are advised, if it has to be in writing, advised up until the point the writ is dropped. At that point we have 30 days or 28 days of campaigning period. During that time, if there is a need for a decision, we’re hoping that there would be no need for a decision during the campaign period, but we would govern according to the contract that we have with the company.

The last thing we want to do is stop the project or delay the project. They’re already...

I have not had a conversation with the federal government, the departments responsible for dredging the Hay River. Thank you.

Of course, we wish to evaluate the validity of the claim prior to dissolution of this Assembly; however, if that was to not happen, we’d have to follow the contract to see what provisions are in the contract right now and how much latitude we would have to be able to move forward with a claim and make sure that the work on the Inuvik-Tuk Highway would continue. Thank you.

We are working with the contractor right now and we’ve hired consultants to look at the contract, look at the claim, look at all of the cash flow, and it’s going to take at least a couple more weeks from this point before we have all the information, all the facts in order for us to make a decision. I would say it’s at least two weeks before we gather the data. How long we take to evaluate that depends on how much data we gather. Thank you.

We can talk to the ferry operator. The ferry operator and the department do discuss how the ferry should be running back and forth on a regular basis if it’s deemed that the best way to continue to move back and forth was just based on demand by viewing the vehicles across or viewing vehicles at Tsiigehtchic, and that’s the way the ferry is going to operate and that’s something that we can discuss with the captain. So, with that, even when they do come across and they see that there are vehicles there, they still would be beneficial, and it’s not, say, few, but beneficial to the travelling...

The hours of operation are something that we’ve worked with and we’ve heard from the community of Tsiigehtchic that they wanted the hours of operation moved to certain hours. We would work with the community. If the community recommended hours that everybody supports in the community that are affected, we would have no issue moving the hours around, as long as we’re not adding hours outside of what we’re allowed to do within the standards that we follow and the guidelines that we follow to operate the ferry.

At this time we’re operating within the hours that we think the communities want. If...

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following two documents, entitled “Follow-up Letter for OQ 839-17(5): Innovative GNWT Recruitment Process;” and “Follow-up Letter for OQ 848-17(5): Human Resources Open Houses.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to pay tribute to the late J.B. Rabesca. He was known as Tsena. He was an orphan of Lutselk’e.

Mr. Rabesca was born on June 1, 1922, and passed away June 3, 2015. He was 93 years old. The elder J.B. was born in Otto Portage, married to Mary-Louise in 1950 in Fort Resolution and later settled in Lutselk’e together to raise their nine children. He was a humble man who lived a traditional lifestyle. He loved to hunt and trap, passed down his teachings to his children and grandchildren and countless community members near and far.

J.B. is survived by his...

Aside from their fiscal responsibility of spending money dredging the harbour, we don’t have the legislation to take over areas. That particular area is now federal responsibility. Even if we had the money to go in and dredge it once and go in and take the responsibility, this would be something that would continue.

It’s important that we, as a government, continue to have discussions with the federal government, for them to step up and take care of their responsibility. I have written a letter to Fisheries and Oceans asking them to do it. No response. Our officials from Transportation have...