Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Mackenzie Delta will be the high-tech hub of the Northwest Territories. Due to its northern location and the frequent passes of satellites, Inuvik is an ideal location for technology infrastructure. Since 2010 it has been home to the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility. With the completion of the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Optic Link, the Delta will be more connected to business than ever. The Government of the Northwest Territories has committed millions of dollars to the fibre optic line and the new Western Arctic Centre for Geomatics in Inuvik. But where are the job opportunities for Northerners? How are we making the most of this opportunity to develop the northern workforce?
Aurora College in Inuvik opens its doors every day to prepare students for jobs in many different fields. We have a chance to train Northerners to work at the satellite station and the new geomatics centre. Staff at the geomatics centre will work with Aboriginal and federal governments, research teams and the Aurora Research Institute. Their work will include planning, research projects, work on environmental monitoring, mapping, emergency response, shipping and navigation, and northern sovereignty issues. People with knowledge and understanding of the North would be ideal candidates for these positions. What better place to train for this work than in Inuvik?
The federal government has demonstrated commitment to technology in the Mackenzie Delta. The Inuvik Satellite Station Facility has important partners in Germany and Sweden. The youth of today are tech-savvy and understand digital technology. That knowledge should be tapped into. Working with partners at Aurora College and elsewhere, the Government of the Northwest Territories can help the people of the Delta participate in these new developments. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, colleagues. The new fibre optic line belongs to the people of the North. We need to do all we can as a government to help them be a part of the future.
