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Legislative Assembly briefs Sahtu roads 'wild west' of rookie drivers Laura Busch Northern News Services Published Monday, February 18, 2013
"The winter road between Wrigley and Tulita cannot hold up to the demands," he said on Feb. 7. "It's like the wild west of new truck drivers up there." In response to questions on the highway on Feb. 8, Transportation Minister David Ramsay said he is willing to go on a road trip with Yakeleya at some point this season to see the problems on the ground for himself. "I'm certainly up to the challenge," Yakeleya responded. "If the minister wants to go for a ride, let's go for a ride." 'Gaps' in education in small communities The 2013-14 budget shows reductions in funding for the Beaufort Delta Education Council, which concerns Mackenzie Delta MLA Frederick Blake Jr. "There are serious gaps in the student achievement between small communities and regional centres," he said on Feb. 12. In his riding, more teachers are needed in Aklavik, Fort McPherson and especially in Tsiigehtchic, where one teacher is currently managing three grades, he said. Later in the day, Education, Culture and Employment Minister Jackson Lafferty said funding for education councils is determined by a formula based on student enrollment. However, the department is currently looking at reviewing the funding formula, he said. Hay River wants its bus service back Hay River North MLA Robert Bouchard wants to see Greyhound bus services restored to his community. Since bus service was removed in October 2011, tourism and businesses in the community have been negatively affected, he told the legislature on Feb. 10. Transportation Minister David Ramsay acknowledged the loss of bus service to Hay River was "unfortunate." To date, the department has not looked into providing a subsidy to restore bus service, as Manitoba does to the tune of $3.9 million per year to maintain service to its rural communities. Ramsay then suggested this could present an opportunity for an entrepreneur in Hay River "to pick up that slack," adding the GNWT would be willing to help such an entrepreneur get started. Raining on the Inuvik-Tuk highway parade Before pushing through the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk highway project, which is now expected to cost $300 million, tough questions need to be asked by this government, said Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen on Feb. 13. "I do hear the plight of the Inuvik area ... in terms of the economic downturn and the conditions there," she said. "However, I do not think a $300-million road project is the answer to that situation." With oil and gas exploration taking off in the Sahtu, why does the GNWT not focus on the southern portion of the Mackenzie Valley highway first, she asked Transportation Minister David Ramsay. Ramsay said federal funding has been earmarked specifically for the Inuvik-Tuk project because building a highway system "coast to coast to coast" is in the national interest. The federal government has stated previously it will contribute up to 75 per cent of the funds needed to build the all-weather road to Tuk. LNG solution for Inuvik People in Inuvik have many unanswered questions about the liquid natural gas (LNG) solution to their current energy crisis, said Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Alfred Moses on Feb. 13. The 2013-14 budget sets aside $100,000 to pursue an LNG supply for the community. When asked by Moses for more details, Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger said he is hoping to announce "in the next few weeks" that an LNG supplier has been found for Inuvik. "At this point, that work is still underway and I'm not in a position to speak in too much detail," he said. Moses added the community currently only has the capacity to store five days worth of LNG, which causes concern because the Dempster Highway is prone to closures that can last a week at a time.
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