.

Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - On Wednesday, all 16 MLAs present in the legislative assembly - including cabinet - voted to urge the federal government to partner up with them on building a highway down the Mackenzie Valley.

Their motion asked Ottawa to "consider this project as a national stimulus initiative that would be a lasting legacy for all Canadians."

The 940 km of additional highway would link up communities along the Mackenzie River, from Wrigley to Inuvik, and Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk.

It would also put them on the grid year-round, which MLAs said would lower the cost of living and doing business.

The motion was passed to try to secure stimulus funding from the federal government, which has gone into deficit to spur the economy by financing infrastructure projects.

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and Education Minister Jackson Lafferty were not present for the vote.

On Thursday, Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya was itching to get started on the project.

"The people of the Sahtu can taste the Mackenzie Valley Highway," he said.

Hire students: Menicoche

Rumours of cutbacks on summer student positions prompted Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche to ask Bob McLeod, minister of human resources, how the government was going to proceed with the hiring of seasonal student employees this year.

He said full-time summer students gain "work experience, a better understanding of what kind of jobs are available in our communities, on the job skills and knowledge and money to help them be more self-sufficient."

He added it acted as an incentive for students to return North, hopefully once they complete their education.

McLeod said hiring summer students was a priority of the government.

He said the government's number of summer student hires the year previous - 281 - was lower than the average of 315 positions.

"We are hoping that we will get back to our average this year," he said.

McLeod said 15 to 21 summer students are typically hired in the Nahendeh region.

Menicoche called on McLeod to try to stretch part-time summer positions into full-time jobs, to which McLeod showed support.

Baiting Bob

Tu Nedhe MLA Tom Beaulieu said two of the communities he represents are situated perfectly to start up small local fisheries.

He pressed Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Bob McLeod to help establishing them.

"Both Lutsel K'e and Fort Resolution are located in prime fishing locations," he said.

"Lutsel K'e is in the heart of the east arm of Great Slave Lake where world class trout, whitefish and Arctic grayling spawn. Fort Resolution is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake where cod, whitefish and pickerel have been fished for generations."

He said the fishing industry on the great lake seems to have waned over the past few years.

"With limited employment opportunities in these smaller communities, a modest fishing operation in Lutsel K'e and Fort Resolution will give residents new opportunities for income," he said.

McLeod said the Great Slave Lake fishery was a federal responsibility and is administered by the federal Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation.

However, he said small business grants and programs could help develop the initiatives and committed to look at increasing production.

Student housing

Two high school students from Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson's riding have dropped out because they can't find housing while attending school away from home. On Feb. 19, he wanted to know what the education department was doing about it.

"Many students leave their strong family support network and go to a larger community, such as Inuvik," he said. "Unfortunately, what seems to be a growing trend in many regional centres is students are finding it harder and harder to find suitable student accommodations."

Jacobson said it was indicative of the government's inability to treat communities of different sizes appropriately.

Education Minister Jackson Lafferty said the department provides funding to the regional district education authority, which then provides that kind of assistance. Lafferty said he will sit down with the regional authority to look for solutions to the problem.

Quote of the week:

"I'm glad to start getting questions about the Workers Safety and Compensation Committee. I was starting to feel like the Maytag repairman." Robert McLeod, minister responsible for the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission, after fielding a question for Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley on the rarely discussed agency.