YELLOWKNIFE (January 21, 2014) – The Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link (MVFL) moves closer to reality with the announcement today by Finance Minister J. Michael Miltenberger that three proponents have been shortlisted, pursuant to the GNWT’s Request For Qualifications on the project.
The three shortlisted proponents are:
- ATCO Electric Ltd.
- Northern Lights Fibre
- Plenary Group Canada Ltd.
These Proponents have been invited to participate in the next stage of the Competitive Selection Process, the Request for Proposal stage.
“We need to grow and expand our economy if we are going to thrive as a territory,” said Minister Miltenberger. “Capitalizing on Inuvik’s advantages as an ideal location for remote satellite sensing and bringing high-speed access to communities in the Mackenzie Valley will help NWT residents compete in today’s digital economy.”
The project is currently moving forward as the GNWT is preparing a Project Description Report to support acquisition of environmental project approvals for the project. The GNWT conducted their first round of public consultations for the project during the winter and spring of 2013. The second round of consultations took place in the Sahtu Region in December 2013, and both the Deh Cho and Inuvik regions are occurring in January 2014.
The current schedule would see a contract awarded during the summer of 2014, construction commencing in the winter of 2015, and anticipated completion of the project in the summer of 2016.
Construction of the MVFL is one of the priorities of the 17th Legislative Assembly and will help support economic growth and diversification in the Northwest Territories, facilitate expansion of the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility and provide innovative program and service delivery opportunities in NWT communities.
For more information contact:
Larry Frolick
Communications Officer
Department of Finance, GNWT
Tel: (867) 874-8719
Email: larry_frolick@gov.nt.ca