GNWT Infrastructure and Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek is confident that the Mackenzie Valley Highway is getting closer to reality. 

The proposed two-lane, all-season gravel road, which would connect several isolated communities in the Sahtu to the rest of Canada, has been a point of discussion for decades. Today, the project is more important than ever, as those communities face a surging cost of living due to shortened winter road seasons and low water levels on the Mackenzie River, which meant they could not be resupplied by barge in 2024. 

However, it's estimated that the highway could cost upwards of $1 billion to complete, and it has advanced very slowly over the years.

That's not the case anymore, according to Wawzonek. 

鈥淭here鈥檚 been more progress made in the last year than I think there has been in in many [years]," she said. "Lots of progress, and hopefully more to come.鈥� 

At present, the Mackenzie Valley Highway is in its environmental assessment phase. It's difficult to procure more funding for the project during this early phase, according to the minister. However, the environmental assessment is expected to wrap up soon, and there are some workarounds that can be employed to keep things moving in the interim.

"We鈥檙e expecting the environmental assessment to be complete this year," she said. "Hopefully it's going to be complete [this year]. 

鈥淲e can鈥檛 ask for money for a project that鈥檚 in its environmental assessment, but we can ask for money on either end of [the environmental assessment], so support for bridges that are just outside the environmental assessment right now," she explained. 

Wawzonek's departments are also working on "the business case" for the highway, which she hopes can be "done over the course of this year." All the while, they also aim to nurture positive relationships with the people and governments in the communities that are waiting for the road to be built.

"We鈥檙e maintaining the relationship with the communities," she said. "Keeping the relationships moving forward and positive 鈥� it will just make the whole process easier."

It is difficult to say when the Mackenzie Valley Highway will finally be complete. In fact, it's still not clear how exactly it will be paid for. However, Wawzonek is determined to ensure that her departments are not responsible for any setbacks the project experiences. 

"I鈥檝e said to my departments, 鈥楩olks, we are not going to be the reason for delay here,'" she said. "That can't be us... It鈥檚 a big project, and we are determined from our end to do everything that we can do to keep this thing on its statutory timeline."