HAY RIVER
The latest session of the legislative assembly has begun and while there are a slew of issues to be brought up a few stand out for MLA Robert Bouchard.

Robert Bouchard: Hay River North MLA says there is a lot on the agenda for Hay River this session. - NNSL file photo

"There's a whole pile of things, I guess," he told The Hub last week after rattling off problems in everything from health and education to justice and economic development. "One of the biggest things is cost of living. That's really a big discussion we're having in the territory in general."

Power is one of the most important factors in reducing the cost of living for Northerners so Bouchard said he is looking for what comes next.

"I want to know what the next big project is for the South Slave," he said. "We didn't do the hydro expansion so I want to ask about the possibility of a gas pipeline up from Alberta."

Other topics in sight include the $1.5 million allocated largely to building a new fish plant in town, the possible effects of bringing junior kindergarten into the community and dredging the nearby waterways to make shipping and transport easier.

"There have been a lot of questions about dredging, and I would love to say we got it done but it's a process," he said, adding that the process includes multiple levels of government and a multitude of departmental jurisdictions.

Bouchard also provided an update into a conflict that started 2013 between the town and the territory. In October of that year, the mayor and council wanted to return to a pre-2010 funding arrangement and threatened to cut off services to surrounding communities -- including fire services -- if they were not granted an additional $300,000 a year in funding by March 2014. The town didn't follow through, with the mayor and council deciding they were satisfied with the progress made by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Bouchard said the presence of other representatives from the community was a boon to negotiations.

"The mayor was down for some of it and it's pretty good to have other groups from the community join the discussions," he said.

Mayor Andrew Cassidy said there are many issues to be settled between the municipality and the territorial government including the finalization of the new formula funding Hay River was instrumental in changing over the last two years.

"The fishing industry is a big deal, jobs are always a big deal but power seems to be at the top of the list," he told The Hub. "At the end of the day, there's a very important conversation going on in the (legislative assembly) about power right now."

Cassidy was skeptical, however, on how much progress will actually be made in the next few months, with members heading towards an election.

"I think a lot of this will be left up to the next assembly," he said.

Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen did not respond to requests for an interview.