Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 15/02) - Ottawa isn't writing a $133 million cheque for Northern roads to riches but the NWT Business Coalition won't give up yet.

"We'll keep in their face. We'll keep at 'em -- keep pounding at 'em," said the vice president of the NWT Motor Transport Association, Joe Agrey, after a mission to federal government offices.

A group of about 40 Northerners including business and territorial government leaders invaded the national capital last week grinding on with a message that the NWT needs $133 million for roads and more for water systems.

The NWT is booming with diamond, oil and gas exploration but the territory doesn't see any royalty cash from the billions of dollars of resource money leaving the North.

That's why the Liard and Dempster Highways are prime targets for the coalition's highway fund.

Fort Liard is exploding with natural gas exploration.

"That amount of traffic on that road is just going to kick the heck out of it when they start bringing all that pipe in," said Agrey, who added the Dempster faces the same fate.

The absence of highways is jeopardizing mining growth as well as petroleum exploration. Manoeuvring oil and gas drilling rigs into roadless areas costs energy companies millions of extra dollars.

"You've got the exploration that they are trying to get going right now and it is so hard to get exploration rigs in there -- the Mackenzie Delta and the river system," said Agrey.

A drilling rig's season lasts the three months of winter when the sensitive Northern ground is frozen -- protected from damage by heavy equipment.

A job can extend past the winter road season and strand the expensive rig.

"They can't get them out because of break-up. Companies have their rigs sitting there over a year -- doing nothing," said Agrey.

Other highway priorities include completing the highway between Yellowknife and Rae as well as the Ingraham trail leading to diamond mines.

The NWT Business Coalition started pushing to access as part of a federal $2 billion infrastructure fund last year after a territorial proposal to charge businesses a road toll. Business was in an uproar.

No one doubted Northern roads needed improvements but the coalition wanted the work to be paid for with federal cash.

The Northwest Territories was later offered only $20 million from federal Industry Minister Allan Rock's office.

During the business coalition's recent tour, only Premier Steve Kakfwi and Finance Minister Joe Handley were able to see Rock.