NWT highway strategy collecting dust
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Apr 04/01) - The strategy to pave the way to resource development in the North is not carrying much weight with the federal Transport minister.
David Collenette, in town for three hours yesterday to address a gathering of the Northern Air Transport Association, said the only highway funding he's thinking of now is distributing money the federal government announced last year.
"I'm more concerned right now with getting the $600 million allocated across the country," Collenette said. "But we're interested in the Northern strategy and helping them."
A year ago the territorial government submitted a $330 million non-renewable resource development strategy. A key component of the strategy is highway development.
The only response from Ottawa so far has been $3.7 million in aboriginal economic development funding for bridges along the Wrigley winter road.
"It's not just my department, it's Indian and Northern Affairs and other departments that are involved in that, but certainly we've got to make sure the infrastructure in the North keeps up to scratch," Collenette said.
Premier Stephen Kakfwi has previously said if the $600 million were distributed on a per-capita basis the NWT would get enough to build no more than a kilometre of road.
Collenette said money over and above the $600 million will have to wait until next year.
"If we get more money in the next budget, then obviously the program we are now starting can be augmented," he said.
Collenette met with territorial counterpart Vince Steen before addressing the Northern Air Transport Association gathering.
Calls to Steen's office were not returned by deadline.
