Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome members of a federally appointed arm’s length panel undertaking a statutory review of the Canada Transportation Act.  They are visiting the Northwest Territories this week to gather feedback from Northerners into new federal transportation policy and program development.

The Panel will conduct a comprehensive examination of how the Act operates as it relates to the economic regulation of transportation.

INUVIK (June 1, 2015) A successful second construction season has come to a close on the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway in the Northwest Territories. Once completed, this important piece of northern infrastructure will provide all-weather access to Tuktoyaktuk, which is currently only served by ice road, barge, and air. It will also be the only public road to the Arctic Ocean in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the cost of energy continues to be one of the leading contributors to the high cost of living in the Northwest Territories. This past winter, a drop in wholesale prices for heating fuel and gasoline gave the Department of Public Works and Services the opportunity to pass savings on to the residents of some of our most remote communities.

Yellowknife (May 14, 2015) – The Government of the Northwest Territories has successfully completed the winter road resupply of fuel to nine communities served by the Department of Public Works and Services Fuel Services Division. A decline in the market cost of fuel made it possible for the department to reduce prices in the communities that receive fuel products via the winter road system.

YELLOWKNIFE (April 21, 2015) – The Department of Transportation is following up with NWT residents on priorities for an NWT Transportation Strategy at upcoming public information sessions in regional centres.

YELLOWKNIFE (April 15, 2015) – Residents of Trout Lake, Délįne, Tulita and Nahanni Butte will enjoy reductions to fuel prices thanks to a successful winter resupply season. 

Yellowknife (March 26, 2015) – On April 1st 2015, the Government of the Northwest Territories will be consolidating energy related functions within the department of Public Works and Services (PWS).

The new energy activity will be comprised of functions currently in the departments of Public Works and Services, Environment and Natural Resources, Industry, Tourism and Investment and the Northwest Territories Energy Corporation that deal with energy policy and planning, research, programs and project delivery.

INUVIK (March 20, 2015) – Members of the Legislative Assembly, regional leaders and media received a first-hand view of progress on the 120-kilometre all-weather Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway project this week. Minister of Transportation Tom Beaulieu hosted a two-day visit to construction sites near Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk for the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Members of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, community leaders from the Beaufort Delta area and the media.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the recent and ongoing improvements made by NAV CANADA at 17 of our airport sites with Community Aerodrome Radio Stations and at Wekweeti and Colville Lake Airports.

Mr. Speaker, as our government continues to work towards achieving its goal of an environmentally sustainable and prosperous Northwest Territories, I would like to highlight one of the ways that the Department of Public Works and Services is helping to ensure that we maximize investments to improve the operational performance of our existing infrastructure.