Thank you, Madam Speaker. As Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, I am pleased to advise you that this week and next week, we celebrate two important annual events, Arctic College Week and Science and Technology Week. I am happy to inform Members of the Legislative Assembly that many new initiatives to promote cooperation among educators, scientists and our northern communities have already begun.
Arctic College staff and students throughout the Northwest Territories are celebrating Arctic College week from October 17th to October 21st. Arctic College Week is held to promote post-secondary education and to inform people of the services provided by the campuses and community learning centres in their areas. It is also intended to emphasize the achievements of Arctic College and its cooperative relationship with the communities it serves. The theme of this year's Arctic College Week, "building community partnerships," celebrates that relationship.
To acknowledge the importance of partnership, the campuses and community learning centres of Arctic College have planned a number of public awareness activities that highlight programs produced in cooperation with municipal and tribal councils and industry.
Community teacher education programs are one example of programs produced in partnership. The Yellowknife teacher education program is sponsored by the Yellowknives Dene Band, Yellowknife's two school boards, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and Arctic College.
Overlapping with Arctic College Week is National Science and Technology Week, which runs from October 14th to October 23rd. We celebrate this event to recognize the contribution of science and technology to northern development. This year, the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories is promoting activities at the community level.
The Science Institute's newly implemented research support programs are providing new opportunities for northerners to become involved in scientific research. We want to recognize the contribution of northerners in science and technology. Education, Culture and Employment, in conjunction with Renewable Resources, has submitted two nominations for the 1994 northern science award sponsored by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
The Science Institute also continues to introduce community projects demonstrating new technology. A northern wind farm has been established in Cambridge Bay as the first privately-funded alternate energy project. Also, from an educational perspective, the innovators in the schools program have been very successful this past year and have given many young northerners the opportunity to learn more about science and technology in an interactive manner.
Madam Speaker, at this time, I would like to thank all the communities, organizations and individuals who support Arctic College programs and science and technology initiatives. I invite the Members of the Legislative Assembly and residents of Yellowknife to participate in Science Sunday at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre at 2:00 pm on October 23rd.
I encourage northerners to contact the Science Institute here in Yellowknife or the research centres in Inuvik, Fort Smith, Igloolik and Iqaluit for information about science and technology programs in your area. As well, I invite you to contact community learning centres or Arctic College Campuses for information about college programs being offered this year. Thank you.