Evidence of meeting #123 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was infrastructure.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:15 p.m.
Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Lib.
Thank you for that, Mayor Spence.
I'm going to go to Councillor Jacobson. Do you have a plan like the one Churchill has? Is that something that—
4:15 p.m.
Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Lib.
And you're looking for partners to invest. Okay, so there is a plan.
Also, I've been informed that the Minister of Northern Affairs and the Government of the Northwest Territories reached an agreement to review the moratorium two weeks ago. Were you aware of that?
4:15 p.m.
Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Lib.
A new process is being put in place for consultation and how that's going to go about.
Are you satisfied with having a review of the moratorium?
4:15 p.m.
Mayor, Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk
If we get involved with it, that would be good. Yes.
4:15 p.m.
A voice
And if it's lifted....
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
Hopefully you'll have an opportunity in the next round of questions.
We'll keep going. We're moving to MP Arnold Viersen.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Thanks for being here today. Did you want to respond...? Okay.
I understand that, with Churchill, you're either flying, coming on a ship or taking the rail. There's no road to Churchill.
Tuk got a road recently. Is Churchill looking at that option?
4:20 p.m.
Mayor, Town of Churchill
Going back, I think it was in 1999 that we were part of a study with the Kivalliq district of Nunavut in terms of looking at a road from the Kivalliq district through Manitoba. We were quite surprised, when the study came to our community, that people wanted to see a road.
I think what's really critical here is that we have a rail line that can be utilized at a lesser cost to operate, so maybe that will be another day.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
4:20 p.m.
Mayor, Town of Churchill
It's not a real issue right now, but it could be in due time.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Yes.
Is there a lot of resource development around Churchill?
4:20 p.m.
Mayor, Town of Churchill
No, the resource developments are north of us, within the Kivalliq district. The investment that's gone into exploring the Kivalliq district of Nunavut is quite remarkable.
I remember going up there in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Now development is really taking off, and it's great for them.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Does the oil play affect Churchill at all? Is there any offshore in Hudson Bay or—
4:20 p.m.
Mayor, Town of Churchill
No, not that we're aware of. It's strictly minerals just north of us.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
I can't imagine that a whole bunch of logging happens up there either.