Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member's statement regarding the state of the Dempster Highway these past couple of months, my questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure.
I know he's aware, obviously, of these closures. He would get those reports through his department. Can the Minister tell me if he's met with his counterpart in the Yukon and/or whether or not that meeting is scheduled to discuss the ongoing issues with the Dempster Highway. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, yes, I have met with the Minister for Transportation Yukon. We were in contact over the holidays. In fact, Christmas Day we were in contact over the closures, trying to assist Inuvik with their propane shortage. So we've been in contact numerous times to support the opening and keeping open the Dempster Highway. Unfortunately, climate change has been an issue. We all know that, and it's impacted our side of the highway, the Dempster Highway, and also the Inuvik ITH. So it's no different on the Dempster Highway with all the mountains and everything else, so. Yes, I've been in contact with her, and we continue to work with the Yukon government on maintaining the highway of -- and the open Dempster Highway. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for that. And, yes, I am aware; I know the Minister was very helpful during the closure crisis we had during the fuel delivery issue we had in Inuvik when the highway was closed. And I understand, yes, climate change is real; it's happening. It's happening on both sides of the border, but our contractors seem to be able to keep it open. I understand there's a little more mountainous areas on the other side. But 18 days is a long time. So does the Minister have any comments, or did he get any comments from his counterpart, the Minister of transportation in the Yukon, as to actually putting more capacity, more resources, to ensure that we don't get a month where there's 18 days or a 20-day period where there's nine days in February where it's closed? Has there been any commitment from the Yukon side? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know, just to add to what the Member says, you know, we have a lot of good contractors on both sides of the Yukon and NWT. Our contractors have been working hard to maintain the roads and keep them open. I know Yukon -- our departments have been communicating, and they are doing a bunch of work to the Dempster Highway, and there's plans being developed on exactly what they're going to do. Unfortunately, I don't have details on what their action plans are for maintaining the road during winter events and when there is winter storms or anything like that on the Yukon side. So I will reach out to the Government of Yukon to see if there's an opportunity on how we can work together, and maybe some better communication on helping keep the Dempster Highway open for less impacts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that. And I know there's funding to do some upgrades on that highway, and certainly appreciate that too. In the summer, the Minister mentioned that he will meet again and talk about doing some commitments. Will the Minister include with that -- and I know in speaking with our contractors on the NWT side, they've often went down and said, yeah, we could get that open but yet a couple of days pass before it's actually done. Is there a potential that we could actually provide some of that service to the Government of Yukon?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Those discussions have never happened -- or those discussions haven't happened that I am aware of, and I don't know if that idea has ever been tabled. So it's something we could talk about and look at and maybe work with the Member on what exactly the idea looks like, but definitely, you know, always open for solutions of ways to keep the Dempster Highway open longer. I think it's important to get supplies and services to all the communities in the North, so thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oral questions. Member from Frame Lake.
