Alberta’s Transportation Minister Ric McIver is in Wood Buffalo.
MLAs Tany Yao and Laila Goodridge invited the provincial cabinet minister on a two-day tour of the region.
After a short meeting with Mayor Don Scott and RMWB Council, McIver met with business and industry leaders at a meet-and-greet at Keyano College.
“If we’re going to spend on money on transportation infrastructure, we want it to be a benefit to people, so one of the best ways to find that out is to ask the people.”
Infrastructure ideas
Among the many conversations were themes of safety, secondary access routes, and ease of travel.
McIver said during the day’s meetings with RMWB Council members, industry, and other stakeholders he took note of three ideas.
“One is the potential twinning for Highway 63 between [Mildred Lake] and [Albian], there’s great interest in making improvements, twinning, or adding passing lanes to Highway 881, [and] there’s great interest in the Clearwater Bypass on the east side of the city.”
Along with other ideas, McIver said the Transportation Ministry would investigate the feasibility of those suggestions.
McIver added he’s heading to Fort Chipewyan to celebrate the opening of the town’s Water Treatment Plant.
“While we’re there, [we’ll] talk to community members and leaders to find out what transportation concerns, interests, desires, requests, and complaints they might have to see if there is anything we can work together with them on.”
He said solving infrastructure’s shortcomings begins with meeting and talking with people about their needs.
“Ask the people that live in the area what’s important to them. I’m getting an earful, which is a good thing; that’s why I came. People are obliging with their honest opinions, and that will help our government make good decisions.”
McIver and the United Conservative government goes back in session on Oct. 8, 2019.
What an overwhelming response by the community to meet with @RicMcIver . There was some heavy conversations and heads nodded when The Minister spoke of the importance of @RMWoodBuffalo to the success of out Province. @LailaGoodridge @UCPCaucus #ymm #rmwb pic.twitter.com/WVMbSauj38
— Tany Yao (@TanyYao) September 18, 2019
