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News
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Jones questions why former Transportation Minister didn't
fight to include Route 516 in National Highway designation December 2, 2005
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Yvonne Jones, Opposition Labrador Affairs Critic and MHA for the District of
Cartwright - L’Anse Au Clair, says former Transportation and Works Minister
Tom Rideout used his influence as Minister to have a road in his own
district included in the National Highway System instead of designating
Route 516 from Cartwright to the Goose Bay Junction. In September, the Council of the Ministers for Transportation and Highway Safety met and agreed to an expansion of the National Highway System. The task force was comprised of officials from all provinces, territories and Transport Canada. "I find it hard to accept that the Minister was actively involved in the discussions leading up to the release and acceptance of this report and he neglected to include this road from Cartwright to the Goose Bay Junction," said Jones. "It is essential that this highway in Labrador be included in the National Highway system as a means of securing cost-shared funds for maintenance and upkeep in the future. This omission makes no sense given the fact that the highway network connecting all other major ports not previously recognized, including Argentia, Blanc Sablon, St. Barbe and Lewisporte were in the provisions adopted by the Council of Ministers. "This 90km connection to the Port of Cartwright is essential for the movement of goods in and out of Labrador by sea. Minister Rideout had been in a conflict of interest concerning the Labrador Ferry Service since taking office and it appears that this example is just another in the growing list of uninformed decisions made by government with respect to southern Labrador. "It is time for the new Minister of Transportation and Works to take action to rectify this omission in the report. By including the road in the National Highway System, government will be better positioned to secure cost-shared funding to upgrade and maintain the connection once the remainder of the TransLabrador Highway is completed."
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