Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the new agreement that gives Nahanni Butte more control over the Nahanni National Park Reserve. It has been a work in progress with the Government of Canada. This agreement will boost the community's economy by creating ten new jobs. Beside the new jobs, the community will see three new buildings being built. The three building are a Parks Canada office, a guardians program office, and a lodge for elders and tourists.
In speaking with Jayne Konisenta, a longterm councillor, she was very happy to see the commitment made by Parks Canada fulfilling a request by the elders. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that she spoke to a lot of the elders throughout the years. Unfortunately some have passed away and some felt things were not going the way they wanted. She told them it's not going to happen overnight; it's not an overnight process; it's going to take years. She advocated for these facilities when she was younger, and now she is becoming an elder and she still at the table but the different is that we have come to a good place.
Mr. Speaker, when speaking to Chief Steven Vital, he stressed this agreement is for our past elders, it's what they wanted, and it's for our future generation.
Mr. Speaker, could you imaging ten new jobs coming to any community let alone a community the size of Nahanni Butte? These jobs are going have a huge impact on the residents and the community. We will see young people wanting to stay in their home community now. This agreement is a new and innovative model for cooperative management. In practice, that means reshaping the existing comanagement where Nahanni Butte has a larger role in the Nahanni National Park Reserve. The beautiful thing about this agreement, the band will now have the resources to bring their traditional knowledge and to collect scientific knowledge to bring it to the table on their own terms. It was a true partnership with Parks Canada.
Mr. Speaker, part of the agreement is funding for a new on the land guardianship program which will operate within the park reserve. More on the land programming will be opened to the local youth and elders. Mr. Speaker, the Nahanni National Park Reserve is a giant park, the thirdlargest in Canada, spanning everything from canyons and mountains to waterfalls. Virginia Falls and the Cirque of the Unclimbables are among its treasures.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the community, chief and council, and Parks Canada for this signing.
