Denny Rodgers

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that the committee defer further consideration of the capital estimates for the Department of Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, and I encourage -- it would be nice if we could actually get some data back from the department on how many times that runway has actually been shut down versus the one in Ulukhaktok, what I know will likely have the same issues; however, the runway in Sachs Harbour -- I mean, Sachs Harbour is a smaller community. It doesn't have jet service like the community of Ulukhaktok does. So if the Minister could commit to coming back with some detail on the number of times that runway in Sachs Harbour has been in -- I guess, in such a condition that smaller aircraft -- so...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And, certainly I appreciate that, and my assumption is, and we have engineering reports that say that it probably should settle. But, Mr. Chair, the reality likely is whether you pave it this year in 2027 or in 2030, there's still going to be a requirement on that runway, given it's been a reality for the past few years and certainly will be even more of a reality as we move forward, that there will be O and M money required going forward.

So I guess my question would be, has that been set in stone that we won't be paving this year? Has the department considered getting...

Nothing further on this, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you. I certainly appreciate that. And I know the drivers and residents driving that highway regularly will also appreciate it, Mr. Chair. Can he also give me kind of an overview of Highway No. 10, the highway upgrades and rehabilitation. I believe that's the Inuvik to Tuk highway.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, under the Highway No. 8 reconstruction under the ICIP, can the Minister confirm if that is the work, any upgrade or upgrade the section to -- I mean, that work is allocated to the section from Rengleng River to Inuvik. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am happy to speak to this motion today. Mr. Speaker, I was perplexed when I both -- I guess from a political perspective and from an operational perspective when the GNWT flatly just rejected this recommendation.

Mr. Speaker, I don't know what the exact answer is. I do know that given the amount of hours we put in as Regular Members and Cabinet on determining how to go about this review, how to move it from an inquiry to an after-action, we collaborated on it, Mr. Speaker, we all had representatives to give us information back as this process went on. So, Mr. Speaker...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move the chair rise and report progress.

Thank you. And I appreciate that. And since the Minister brought it up, I will point out that the 1900 obviously has a larger capacity than the Twin Otter. As well, the Twin Otters don't run as much in the fall and wintertimes. They're typically used more for charter work than they are for passenger and cargo work. So that Twin Otter is not always available to get in there, and the 1900 is the preferred route to go in there and/or the King Air. And the King Air as well as the medivac aircraft, which is required to land in there. So that's another factor to consider on that runway. Thank you...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yeah, and, again, and I appreciate that and the work that's being done up there. My only concern -- other concern, around that is, as you know, it's being done by a local contractor in partnership with the Indigenous government up there. And to do projects of this nature, obviously it requires staffing up, it requires training and, you know, given that it is a -- I understand the project has been reduced this year to allow that runway to settle, though there's always a fear that you lose some of that expertise and lose some of that workforce given that the project is on...