Mr. Speaker, 2009 was a challenging year for the Northwest Territories mining industry. The economic downturn saw spending on exploration and deposit appraisals go down significantly in our Territory.
But it’s during tough times that we must not lose our focus. We must not waver in our efforts to ensure our economy remains strong, and we must not waver in our attention to one of the largest sectors of that economy: mining.
That is why I will talk today about some of the work this government is doing to support the mining industry and ensure we have a sector where development occurs, where that development is done responsibly and where Northwest Territories residents benefit from it.
One way we are working to keep our mining sector strong is through constant dialogue with industry stakeholders such as the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Chamber of Mines. Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to see the chamber’s new president, John Kearney, who is also president of Canadian Zinc, join us today in the House along with some of their chamber directors.
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I have met with Mr. Kearney and we have agreed that the chamber and the government will work together to raise awareness of the importance of mining in the Northwest Territories with the federal government.
Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased with some of the good work the chamber is doing on a number of fronts, such as this work to improve relations between the mining industry and our aboriginal communities and its promotion of infrastructure development in the North.
Through this dialogue, we can find ways to work together to ensure we have win/win scenarios for both the Territory and the mining industry. Both Mr. Kim Truter, president of Diavik Diamond Mines, and Mr. Paul Harvey, president and chief operating officer of Ekati Diamond Mine, who are with us today, can attest that a good example of this kind of cooperation is the Northern Mining Workforce Initiative Memorandum of Understanding between our government and three diamond mines. The goal of the memorandum of understanding is to improve the skills of our Northwest Territories workforce and attract and retain our residents to work at the mines.
Other government initiatives that support the mining industry include our partnership with the federal government on gathering new geoscience data through the Strategic Investment in Northern Economic Development program. This work is critical to the success of exploration projects and I’m pleased the funding for this program has been renewed.
We are also supporting the mining industry through our involvement in the Northwest Territories Mine Training Society as we work towards training more aboriginal people and Northerners for jobs in the mining industry.
We also continue to lobby the federal government to build much needed infrastructure in our Territory, like the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project. It is projects like this that will contribute to sustainable and responsible development.
Finally, we continue to push the federal government to address the issues that are impacting the effectiveness of our regulatory regime. In fact, the federal Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Mr. Chuck Strahl, recently announced in Yellowknife that the federal government will be releasing a series of responses to the McCrank report on regulatory improvement in the North this spring. Our government, industry and all Northerners await the federal government’s response to this report.
Mr. Speaker, the mining sector is a source of significant employment in the Northwest Territories, creating over 2,000 direct jobs each year. And aside from the direct benefits, the industry generates significant employment in the transportation, services, trades and construction sectors.
We also have a wealth of mineral potential with world-class deposits in everything including gold, diamonds and tungsten.
Some of that potential, like the rare earths deposit that is being pursued by Avalon Ventures, could lead to mines that will be open for decades and employ hundreds of Northwest Territories residents.
Mr. Speaker, a prosperous mining industry, one where mining companies and Northwest Territories residents benefit, will go a long way towards providing our Territory with a diversified and healthy economy that provides all regions and communities with choices as envisioned by the 16th Legislative Assembly through Northerners Working Together. That is why we must continue to do what we can to support a strong mining sector here in the Northwest Territories.
In closing, I would like to congratulate Mr. Kearney on his new role as president of the chamber and I look forward to working with him and his board. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
