I rise in this House to update honourable members on my department�s administration of the Labrador Transportation Grooming Subsidy, which for several years now, has been funding the operation and maintenance of grooming trails on the north and south coast of Labrador.

These snowmobile trails are a vital transportation link for isolated communities not connected to the Trans-Labrador Highway, particularly on the north coast of Labrador. Maintaining and enhancing these trails is a firm commitment made under our Northern Strategic Plan for Labrador.

I am pleased to note that in Budget 2008, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs, increased the Labrador Transportation Grooming Subsidy by $150,000. As well, $200,000 has been budgeted for trail improvements.

Since 2007, Labrador Winter Trails Incorporated was responsible for the administration of this subsidy. Unfortunately, Labrador Winter Trails ran into financial difficulties last season and have since indicated they no longer wish to be responsible for co-ordinating trail grooming.

The Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs has offered to assist Labrador Winter Trails with their debts associated with trail grooming.

This government is also prepared to co-ordinate trail grooming this winter and will provide funding to Inuit Community Governments and development agencies to carry out this important work. As well, the request has been made to Labrador Winter Trails to allow access to the necessary trail groomers, which were purchased with public funds, to ensure these vital transportation linkages are maintained for the communities that rely upon them.

To date, Labrador Winter Trails has not accepted this offer. What we are proposing is fair and generous. This arrangement would allow Labrador Winter Trails to better focus on its core mandate of promoting tourism and recreational snowmobiling and collecting trail pass fees.

It has come to my attention that Labrador Winter Trails is arranging the sale of the groomer designated for North West River to Separation Lake � an important connection for residents on the north coast. This groomer was paid for 100 per cent by the Provincial Government just last year. Our offer to pay back outstanding debts incurred by Labrador Winter Trails is still on the table, providing they do not proceed with this sale.

Meanwhile officials in my department are doing everything they possibly can to maintain this vital service. However, unless Labrador Winter Trails provides this government with access to the groomers in their possession, this vital winter transportation link to isolated communities within coastal Labrador cannot be fully maintained.

I strongly encourage Labrador Winter Trails to re-consider its position so that groomers that were purchased with public funds are made available for the public good.