Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sept 03/01) - While Inuvik residents voiced their disapproval of a proposed highway toll, a three-person delegation from Tuktoyaktuk flew into Inuvik last week to remind people how good it is to have any road at all.

The group was in town to speak to members of a legislative committee visiting Inuvik Aug. 20 and 21 to find out how people feel about new legislation being considered, including Bill 9, the Commercial Vehicle Trip Permit Act, and Bill 10, the Public Highway Improvement Fund Act.

The legislation would see commercial freight vehicles pay a levy to use certain sections of the territories' highway.

The people of Tuk are more concerned about getting an all-weather road in the first place. "Other people are saying we got a road but we don't know if we have the money to fix it ... I envy people with a road," said William Nasogaluak, a member of his hamlet's highway sub-committee.

"If we had a road to Tuk, I'm sure I would say make it really straight and good," said Nasogaluak. "When you got a road to complain about, you've done very well."

Tuktoyaktuk's mayor, Ernest Pokiak, said his hamlet has been asking for a road since 1975. "We should have a road link before we have anything else," Pokiak said. "It's only 140 kilometres long, maybe at a cost of between $90 and $110 million. The positives really outweigh the negatives by far."

The committee's chair, Inuvik MLA Floyd Roland, said that a highway link to Tuktoyaktuk was not being considered this time around, and that the changes being discussed were only for the proposed toll to finance the improvements on the Dempster and other NWT highways.

On the matter of tolls, the committee heard disapproval at both meetings scheduled in Inuvik. One of the speakers was Judy Harder, co-owner of Wrangling River Supply, an Inuvik grocery store with mobile service to Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic. She presented the committee with a petition against the legislation signed by 200 people the weekend before.

"This bill is going to affect everything -- the food you buy, your clothing," Harder said after the meeting. "I don't believe this is the way to go about improving the highway. They have to look at other ways to find the money. An increased freight rate is not the answer. I recognize that as a business, I will have to charge more and I don't want to charge more."

Robin McConville, service centre manager for Northwest Transport, echoed Harder's sentiments. "I'm hoping they (the GNWT) come to their sense on this," he said.

McConville said his company moves anywhere from 45 to 145 truckloads a month across the Dempster highway. Under the new legislation, each load would be charged $390 for the stretch from Inuvik to the Yukon border. "Whatever we have to pay is going to go to the end consumer, which is the general public. I'm concerned about the impact on the smaller communities."

The standing committee on governance and economic development will conduct public hearings into Bill 9 and 10, and other proposed legislation in Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife. The next public consultation is scheduled for Sept. 13 and 14 in Fort Simpson. The committee will bring its findings to the legislature during the Oct. 23 session.