2016 Northwest Territories Infrastructure Investments Grand total investment*: $23.8 M
Backgrounder
Wood Buffalo National Park (NP)
As part of Canada's system of national parks and national historic sites, Wood Buffalo National Park is our country's largest national park and one of the largest in the world. It was established in 1922 to protect the last remaining herds of bison in northern Canada. Today, it protects an outstanding and representative example of Canada's Northern Boreal Plains.
List of projects:
Project name: Wood Buffalo National Park – Highway 5 paving
Estimated total: $21.6 M
Project description: This project will improve the remaining 64 kilometer section of Highway 5 by converting the existing gravel surface to a hard chip seal surface. The project will focus on the stretch of highway between kilometre 106 and kilometre 174. This investment will result in an improved level of service for this essential regional transportation corridor, providing ease of access to Wood Buffalo National Park and the community of Fort Smith.
Project name: Wood Buffalo National Park - Salt River Bridge - Peace Point Road (Hwy 59) - Rehabilitation
Estimated total: $920 K
Project description: This project will rectify structural deficiencies noted during a Salt River bridge inspection to ensure it continues to meet Canadian Bridge code requirements and to extend the service life of this structure for another 40 years. This vital bridge provides the only road access to Wood Buffalo National Park.
Project name: Wood Buffalo National Park - Trail Network Rehabilitation
Estimated total: $487 KProject description: This rehabilitation of the trail network will revitalize the visitor experience and allow more Canadians to experience the outdoors and connect with nature.
Western Arctic Parks and Sites
List of projects:
Project name: Satellite Communications Modernization
Estimated total: $690 K
Project description: Covering nearly 100,000 sq km of land, the parks and sites of the Western Arctic are very remote. Field work and visitor trips involve great distances and logistical planning, and are subject to weather. Modernizing field communications to a state-of-the-art satellite communications system will improve the reliability of field communications, resulting in greater operational efficiency and improved long-term financial sustainability for Parks Canada. As part of this project, some of the VHF radio repeater tours are being decommissioned, resulting in lower maintenance costs and greater ecological integrity of the landscape.
Pingo Canadian Landmark
The Pingo Canadian Landmark (PCL) encompasses 16.4 sq km of land and water, including eight pingos which are ice-cored hills that range in height from less than 5 m to Ibyuk Pingo at 49 m. Located in the Northwest Territories, just outside Tuktoyaktuk (in the Inuvialuits’ Settlement Region), the Pingo Canadian Landmark is managed cooperatively with the Inuvialuits and Parks Canada.
Project name: Pingo Canadian Landmark Boardwalk
Estimated total: $115 K
Project description: The new Inuvik-Tuk highway is slated to be open in 2017, which will result in year-round vehicle traffic passing close to the Pingo Canadian Landmark for the first time. Repairing the docks and boardwalks will ensure continued safe access to Pingo Canadian Landmark and facilitate the visitor experience at a unique Parks Canada site.
* Please note that the sum of individual project values may not equal the grand total indicated at the top of this document due to standard rounding errors.
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