Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  To lower thresholds in what context?

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I certainly think cost is one of the things we're very sensitive to, given how it impacts travellers in the north and the cost of goods. A lot of variables go into the cost. It's a marketplace for air. When you're looking at infrastructure and investments in infrastructure out of the national trade corridors fund, for example, one of the announcements made in recent months was around air terminals in Nunavut and five of them being refurbished.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The territorial governments are responsible for the operation and maintenance of transportation facilities.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  You'd have to ask—

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It depends.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In Nunavut, for example, it's exclusively air travel between communities and for connections to the south. Of course, there's the marine supply. I gather your question is more about the private use of aircraft instead of a vehicle. I can't comment on what the numbers might be.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We've been in some consultations across each of the three territories, engaging in discussions as to how the department could better reflect Arctic needs in its policies, investments and program design. We're actively working on the development of that framework and looking to align that with the work that's taking place at CIRNAC, so we're hoping for later this year.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Over the course of the summer, we have had conversations with operators who are operating up there, which we plan to continue. We had one consultation session specifically dedicated to that in Montreal, because a number of operators who have operations in the north are based either in Montreal or close to Montreal.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, and there have been specific discussions around the issue of flight duty times with operators in the north. As well, in the broader construct of the framework, we are talking to air representatives.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  One of the programs that were just renewed was the NTAI program, which is an adaptation initiative for transportation infrastructure that partners with local communities, territorial governments and the academic community to try to figure out what technologies may assist in terms of slowing down the degradation of permafrost and building up the resiliency of transportation infrastructure.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thanks for your question. The work going on through CIRNAC is quite horizontal across all departments that have interests or operations in the north. That's no different with Transport Canada. We've been very active and aligned with them in the consultations that have been taking place around the policy framework they're developing.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It does. Given that there aren't really any port facilities in the territories per se, you really see the impacts around runways. You see the impacts as well on roads and ice roads. The sustainability of those ice roads is called into question. As my colleague indicated, it can come down to operational practices, maybe needing to change how you plow or clear snow.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There's a significant investment going into Iqaluit right now in terms of a deepwater port, which will greatly help our resupply efforts. Taking these kinds of building techniques into consideration is important for those kinds of facilities.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Madam Chair, for this opportunity to address the committee about transportation infrastructure in Canada's north. I am pleased to be here today along with my colleague Marie-Claude Petit, Director General, Transportation Infrastructure Programs. It's no surprise that transportation is a lifeline for northern communities and an essential enabler for economic development, including resource development projects.