SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The legislative assembly's committee of the whole approved an extra $65 million Monday night to construct a highway connecting Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk, but not without complaint from the regular Yellowknife MLAs, some of whom warned the project was shaping up to be another Deh Cho Bridge boondoggle.
"It's visions of the Deh Cho Bridge kerfuffle all over again," Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley told Yellowknifer Tuesday, referring to early expectations of a $55-million bridge project that ballooned to $202 million before completion.
Bromley's concerns include the fact the road design is only 85 per cent complete, gravel sources for construction have not been found, and roughly 12 km of the road will pass over glacial ice.
Bromley and Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro were the only members to vote against the extra infrastructure funding, although Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny also complained during debate - mainly about the secrecy and ballooning costs.
The original price tag for the 137-km Inuvik-to-Tuktoyaktuk all-weather highway when the federal government announced 75 per cent funding in 2011 was $199 million.
That estimate has since risen to $299 million with the federal share of the expenses dropping to 66 per cent.
The government's failure to inform the public of the revised costs for the road is unfairly pitting Yellowknife and non-Yellowknife MLAs against each other, Dolynny warned during debate before MLAs approved the additional money.
"We could have done a better job communicating this project all the way through. We did not need to leave it to the 11th hour, information that the public should have had access to," he said, adding the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and other regional groups have been holding up their end. "We can do better next time."
Fact file
Tuk highway deal
Old deal:
Estimated cost of highway: $199 million
Cost share with the federal government: 75 per cent feds; 25 per cent GNWT
Canada spends about $150 million
GNWT spends about $50 million GNWT
New deal:
Estimated cost of highway: $299 million
Cost share with the federal government: 66.6 per cent feds; 33.3 per cent GNWT
Canada spends about $200 million
GNWT spends about $100 million
Source: Legislative assembly, March 11
