Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had the pleasure of attending the second Nunavut business conference and trade show in Iqaluit on March 15 to 19 and I want to say what a success it was, Mr. Speaker. I was able to attend some of the very useful and informative sessions such as the one on Nunavut business which identified various business opportunities. Experienced businessmen such as Simon Merkosak, Joshua Kanguq, Kenn Harper and I participated in these sessions. Later that day, there was the launch of the Baffin handbook, which received very favourable reviews in a recent Globe & Mail article as a "must read" for visitors to Baffin. We also heard an inspiring speech from Paul Quassa at a banquet attended by over 200 people. There was a fascinating session on banking and project financing which featured senior bankers from the Toronto Dominion Bank, the Bank of Montreal, the CIBC and FBDB. Perhaps, we should have invited Mrs. Marie-Jewell to that session on northern banking. There were informative sessions on northern purchasing and other subjects.
The trade show on Saturday, March 20, was a resounding success. There were over 70 booths, including some which were shared by more than one business. About 700 people visited the trade show. Booths ranging from Northport Construction's new inverter to the latest technology in waste oil heating to producers who served fabulous food. I might mention that there were no less than 32 members of the business community from Val-d'Or, Quebec, including the mayor, who attended the conference and participated in the trade show.
So, Mr. Speaker, it was a success and I know there are plans to repeat the trade show again, perhaps in another location in Nunavut. I hope the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism will be able to attend the third annual Nunavut trade show. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause