Evidence of meeting #38 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was nwt.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for coming today. It's an important exercise for us to hear your concerns and about the barriers you face here in the north. It is important to get that information to our committee so we can then hopefully do a report in the end that will certainly benefit the northern territories.
Mr. Kruger, I just have a few questions about the Mackenzie Valley Highway you talked about. I believe you said it will take $1.8 billion to finish that.
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
That's the number I've heard, yes.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Okay, and do you know the distance remaining to finish the highway? I'm assuming that this is a paved highway, rather than gravel.
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
I believe we're talking about an all-season gravel highway. There are probably about 1,000 kilometres left.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
There are about 1,000 kilometres left, okay. I understand that the construction period is a very short period of time. If you say that it's about 1,000 kilometres to finish, how long would it take to actually finish that highway? Do you have any idea?
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
I don't know off the top of my head. I'm sorry, I don't have that information.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Okay. There was something else you talked about in terms of community deficits reported in 2004. I understood you to say that it is now $186 million. I thought it maybe was billion, but I was not sure.
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
In 2004 it was $186 million; the latest guess is about $400 million.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
I'm sorry; I didn't quite understand that.
Quite a bit of funding is needed, then. Would that be for the 33 communities you talked about?
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
Yes.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
It would be recreational facilities, fire trucks, community vehicles, hamlet offices, water, sewer....
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
So there's a lot. Some of the communities are quite small, as you mentioned in your comments.
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Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
They're very small.
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Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
You also talked about how expensive air access is. Do you have any idea how many of these 33 communities would have access by air?
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Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
Every one of them.
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
It depends on the size of the plane, but I believe every community has an airport.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
In terms of the airports, do you have any idea how regular these flights are?
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
I'm not familiar with the schedules, but some may be from one to two times a week to daily, depending on the size of the community.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Do you know if they're bringing in a lot of supplies as part of that process, or is it strictly passengers?
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
In some of the remote communities you would be flying perishable food, produce, milk, etc., on a regular basis by plane to places like Paulatuk or Sachs Harbour or Ulukhaktok.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
11:10 a.m.
Communications and Policy Coordinator, Northwest Territories Association of Communities
I'm not totally familiar with the food mail program, but I would suspect so.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
I have a question In terms of the R-in-C funding. Is every one of the 33 communities you mentioned in your statement looking for R-in-C funding?