Daniel McNeely

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member's statement, my question is to the Minister of Infrastructure on the Marine Transportation Service Company, a division of our government. My first question, Mr. Speaker, is: how is the 2019 summer sailing season looking right now on targets of supplying the customers along the route, particularly and mainly the communities? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to make my statement. The Mackenzie River itself, Mr. Speaker, is 1,650 kilometres in length. In most areas, its 1.6 to 3.2 kilometres in width can present many logistical challenges, particularly during the later part of the low-water season.

I have seen it myself during my boat ride of last month between the communities of Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope. In particular, you have to cross two sets of rapids and, in particular, one just above Fort Good Hope, eight kilometres. There is a landmark rock on the outside of the boat route, the only route on that...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I, too, will support this bill. I totally agree with my colleague from the Mackenzie Delta here on the smaller communities. Because of the high unemployment here, not a whole lot of people have the front-end capital to fund and install solar panels and then get a rebate later. Hopefully, the revenue generated by this will take that into account.

Other pilot projects such as the one done by the Yamoga Land Corporation in Fort Good Hope where they bought over 50 of these secondary combustible wood stoves and install them, sent two young fellows out to do the installation or...

Thanks to the Minister for that reply. It is comforting to know that progress is being maintained in the schedule. Having experience on my boat ride between the communities, as mentioned, of Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope, the low-water levels, are these low-water levels creating any delays and challenges to the shipping schedules?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Heather Bourassa from my home community in Ford Good Hope, a businesswoman and bush pilot. Mahsi.

Thanks to the Minister for the fuel information there. Our public infrastructure depends on that fuel resupply. My next question is on the training provided on the Marine Training Centre in Hay River. Can the Minister elaborate or brief us on the training plan and student outcomes and how progress is being made from that institution?

Thanks, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for that information. My last question, Mr. Speaker, is: I understand that the Government of Canada has dedicated funding for Indigenous housing. Can the Minister tell us where we are at with allocations under this fund for the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.

Thanks to the Minister for the reply. We look forward to the information. My next question, then, Mr. Speaker: I certainly appreciate that the Housing Corporation did a lot of work organizing and bringing communities, Indigenous leaders, and other stakeholders together to learn of the opportunities at the forum, such as the co-investment fund. Organizations in my riding want to put forward proposals under the co-investment. How would they pursue this?

Mahsi, colleagues. Let's ensure we use this money to support the housing aspirations of all our communities, and let's ensure we start identifying and starting projects under this fund in the very near future. I also think that the community housing plans currently being undertaken by the corporation could provide a useful and helpful roadmap for communities in this regard.

Later, Mr. Speaker, I will have questions to the appropriate Minister. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. In reviewing the Minister's opening remarks, there were a couple of paragraphs that made me reflect on last year's occasions that I had to support industry, as well as keeping an open mind on the local concerns. More specifically, this is related to the Enbridge Pipeline 21 repair just a bit upstream from the community of Fort Providence.

As I listened to the presentations made at the National Energy Board, the NWT Land and Water Board, and the many engagements and correspondence that they had with the surrounding community groups, as well as site visits, having knowledge...