We understand the province has a business case to improve access in the winter. We believe the province and the federal government should be committing to the previous understandings with cash due to the Rockies for a total of $150 million for ten years, to make improvements to bring this stretch of highway up to a safe four-lane standard.
We know that there will be two to six fatalities in the next six months and there will be 125 injuries. Mayor Benty and I will attend funerals for some of those people. There will be a significant impact on commercial export and import and domestic markets, through loss of that commercial truck traffic.
Communities are frankly embarrassed with the current state of this highway, and strongly recommend that the federal and provincial governments commit that $150 million for ten years to this.
Thank you very much for this opportunity, and I look forward to your questions.