Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak about an agreement which was made between the Government of the Northwest Territories and an aboriginal group. A memorandum of agreement was signed on November 7, 1991, between the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and the Gwich'in Tribal Council. The two groups agreed to establish a territorial park at Campbell Lake just a few kilometres south-east of Inuvik.

Mr. Speaker, the planning and management of the park at Campbell Lake, originally named Gwich'in Territorial Park, offers some valuable opportunities for local employment and training. I believe this local involvement should begin immediately and should include making some budget allocation decisions for the upcoming fiscal year in both this government and the Gwich'in Tribal Council.

The memorandum of agreement between the two groups states, "The council shall be involved in the production of a park management plan." The agreement further states, "The council shall be responsible for developing and operating the park under contract to the Government of the Northwest Territories." This agreement specifically mentions the development of outdoor recreational activities, outdoor orientation and interpretive programs and a plan for the protection of the natural environment of the park. The Gwich'in Tribal Council is ready to begin this important work immediately. The council has invested in state-of-the-art satellite imagery of the Inuvik and Campbell Hills areas. The council is also acquiring computer equipment and the expertise to make use of other geographic data, including aerial photography, as a need for park planning, promotion and management. The Gwich'in Geographics, the geographic information system company, and the Gwich'in council are establishing and cost-effectively managing all of the GIS needs...