Wally Schumann

Well, I will check with the department and see what the planning was around the date that we want to meet with the community. I know summer is coming and a number of the Member's riding people on council may be on holiday, so we have to get that date straightened out. I will let him know the exact date. We want to go in there sooner than later, hopefully. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, in the letter to me, they have mentioned rumble strips, lower speed limits, signage, pedestrian crossing, and, like I said at the time of the meeting there, when we were doing the Deh Cho tour, that I would send our staff in there to do an assessment and meet with the committee and then make an assessment and get back to me and we can discuss that with the community and the Member from the riding.

With that said, we know the Kitikmeot organization is still very interested. There has been some discussion going on, how they want to participate and support not only their road but ours. I wouldn't say that it's totally dead on that side of it. We know that the Government of Northwest Territories has identified the Slave Geological Province in our mandate. We are all well aware of that and around our 25-year transportation strategy, we heard from Northerners that this is a high priority. Most members agree with me that this is a key to the future of our territory around economic development...

It is very unlikely that construction of the Slave Geological Province would happen in the life of this Assembly. The project is dependent on, as I have said, securing federal funding. It also needs to have fully considered the social and economic impacts through an appropriate environmental impact review and permitting process. We know that is going to be a very lengthy process. We will take advantage of funding opportunities that become available to us. As I have said, in the second round, we will submit our application.

With that said, though, the Government of the Northwest Territories'...

For Members who aren't aware, on Bundle 1 from the BCIP money, we spent $8 million, roughly, on the Ingraham Trail. I am glad to say that, on Bundle 3, the approval that we had from the federal government here recently, we will have an additional $10 million that we will be able to spend on Ingraham Trail between 2019 to 2024. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am not aware of the brush cutting that took place out there recently, but I can certainly have a look into it. If there is an opportunity for residents along the Ingraham Trail to access some of that wood, we will certainly consider that. I will get back to the Member.

Based on a 20-year average of opening and closing of the Inuvik winter road, we gained 45 days of access to the community of Tuktoyaktuk this year, with the winter road opening in November of last year to May 12th of this year. As all Members know, this has been a concern in the media lately, but one thing that people have to know is that this road is still under construction and we are working on it. The other thing that I always like to make very prevalent about this whole thing is that this highway was constructed in one of the harshest environments in Canada, and our contractors did a heck...

The department has been in contact with the DFO and, at present, they still have not indicated what the future plans are regarding the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation, but they have expressed to me and the Premier for sure that they want to ensure that the inland fishery survives, and sustainably, moving forward, and we will continue to update this House as we get more information of what DFO's plans are. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

A business plan was developed in partnership with the Tu Cho fishery, which is a business arm of the NWT Fishing Federation. The accounts for utilities were part of the operational expense. The business plan was based on a worst case scenario, and it still shows a profit based on the historic catches of the lake, and especially the latest quotas we are been pulling out of the lake. So, worst case scenario, this thing still makes money.

We want to see this thing succeed. That's why we put so much energy and time and money into this. We are working with the fishermen to make sure that this...

If the Member could share the date with my staff, we'll certainly have a look at it. Anything we can do to promote tourism in the Northwest Territories, especially around Aboriginal tourism and in the small communities to help bring economic opportunities to them, we will certainly participate.