November 30, 2011– Minister of Transportation David Ramsay today received the completed Project Description Report (PDR) for the portion of the planned Mackenzie Valley Highway going through the Tulita District of the Sahtu Settlement Area.

The PDR was presented to the Minister by Ethel Blondin-Andrew, the President of 5658 NWT Ltd., an Aboriginal organization established by the Tulita Land Corporation, Norman Wells Land Corporation, Fort Norman Metis Land Corporation, and Tulita Dene Band. This marks another milestone in the Mackenzie Valley Highway project from Wrigley to Tuktoyaktuk.

The PDR provides a summary of information required to proceed to the environmental review phase of the project relative to the Tulita District. Minister Ramsay says the PDR work demonstrates the value of partnerships with Aboriginal organizations.

“The decision to partner with Aboriginal organizations along the proposed right-of-way helps ensure that local knowledge contributes significantly to the final report,” said Minister Ramsay. “This approach helps ensure that the concerns and interests of the people in the Tulita District of the Sahtu Settlement Area are taken into account.”

“I believe the completion of the PDR by the 5658 NWT demonstrates the ability of aboriginal organizations to fully participate in the planning of major public infrastructure projects such as the Mackenzie Valley Highway,” said Ethel Blondin-Andrew, President of 5658 NWT.

This is the third PDR that has been completed for the Mackenzie Valley Highway to Tuktoyaktuk. Another two PDRs for the project are in the final stages of preparation. When all the PDRs are complete, they will be combined into a single Project Description Report for use in the project’s preliminary environmental screening.

For more information, please contact:

Earl Blacklock
Manager of Public Affairs and Communications
Department of Transportation, GNWT
867-873-7712
867-445-3494 (cell)
earl_blacklock@gov.nt.ca

Ethel Blondin-Andrew
President, 5658 NWT Ltd.
867-587-4433