Airport Road to get two-year overhaul
Stewart Burnett
Northern News Services
Thursday, September 28, 2017
INUVIK
The bumpy Airport Road between Inuvik and the Mike Zubko Airport will be getting a full replacement from the GNWT over the next two summers.
Arvind Vasishtha, representing the GNWT, talks to town council about the GNWT's plans to replace Airport Road in 2018 and 2019. - Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo
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Arvind Vashishthe, representing the GNWT, told council that according to preliminary plans the work will take place over the next two summers, with completion in 2019.
The final plan will be ready in about a month, but currently the idea is to tear out the asphalt and cover the road in gravel in summer 2018, with the final chipsealing work in summer 2019. The work next summer is expected to run from June through September, which means there could be frequent delays on the road next year.
Coun. Kurt Wainman asked if the GNWT would be recycling the asphalt, to which Vashishthe responded that there was no current plan to do so but it could be considered once the final design is ready.
Wainman also expressed hope that dust would be controlled for next summer, when the road will not be chipsealed yet.
Greg Hanna, spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure, said that the GNWT is reconstructing the Inuvik Access Road, which is 0.6 km long and begins at hospital hill, and 10 km of the Dempster Highway between the Inuvik airport and the part of the road that will soon be used to access the Inuvik-Tuk highway.
The project will cost $11 million, with 75 per cent of the funding from the federal government and 25 per cent from the territorial government.
Naming the highway?
Councillors floated the idea for the town to come up with a name for the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway, which is soon to open.
"It's part of our road, it's part of our legacy to Inuvik," said Wainman. "The end of the Dempster is done after this year. It's something we should all maybe put our heads together and think about as a council."
Senior Administrative Officer Grant Hood said there would be a meeting with the GNWT soon about the highway anyway, and that would be a good time to bring up the subject, as it's possible the territorial government has its own ideas about a name.
Meek support for dog park
Hood said the only potentially viable place for a dog park in Inuvik looks to be the Ruyant soccer field.
Amy Badgely first broached the idea of getting a dog park at town council earlier in summer.
There was set to be a delegation about the dog park at the Sept. 11 committee of the whole meeting, but no one showed up.
Hood expressed disappointment about that and questioned how much interest there really is in pursuing the idea.
Tax-exempt status for mosque, not food bank
Both the Midnight Sun Mosque and Arctic Food Bank requested tax-exempt status from the town, but councillors looked to support that status only for the place of worship and not the food bank at the committee of the whole meeting.
Hood said it was only fair to give the mosque the same treatment as other religious institutions in town, which have tax-exempt status for the portions of their properties that are dedicated to worship.
Coun. Clarence Wood spoke highly of the Arctic Food Bank, saying the organizers do all their fundraising in the south and don't take anything from the town. Users at that food bank also receive their food for free, while the Inuvik Food Bank has had to institute a $10 charge to cover some of its costs.
"I'd like to see the town do something to support (the Arctic Food Bank), which I think is a lot better than the one we have across here (referring to the Inuvik Food Bank)," said Wood. "That's a personal opinion."
Displeasure with no-shows
Seeing requests for money or support on the council agenda but no one in the chambers to answer questions, Wainman voiced some displeasure with no-shows.
"All tonight I see all these people are asking for stuff and want to do stuff but nobody's here representing them," he said. "I think we should make in our policy if you want something, maybe you should come represent your crew. It would be nice if they would come in and present their case, tell us what they think and answer any questions we have."
Deputy Mayor Steve Baryluk said council can't force people to show up but members can take that into consideration when making decisions.
Wainman said it wasn't about whether he supports the groups asking for assistance or not, but more the principle of the matter.
"We've got requests on here for giving away money basically and we're going to support them all but it would be nice from now if they showed up," he said. "If they don't show up, I don't think we should put any weight on it."
Wood supported his point.
"I know I've been frustrated and I'm sure other councillors have in the past with people not showing up," he said. "I understand why some people can't, but if at all possible (they should)."
