Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, in the early 1960s, I was fortunate to be part of planning the building and the operating of the Taltson Twin Gorge hydro plant near Fort Smith. I worked for the corporation at the time and my involvement was rather indirect, but nonetheless I saw the beginning and the completion of that project. I can understand the excitement and enthusiasm that the people of the Dogrib Nation are now experiencing after the announcements this morning on the hydro development in that area. This time, they have a direct involvement and an ownership in this project. I am sure that in 1947 or 1948, when the Snare rapids and the Snare falls projects were undertaken, little if any consultation took place with the people of that region. It is good to see that now the stakeholders are so directly involved.

Since my involvement in hydro, I have had the pleasure of visiting many projects, Big Horn, Peace River, Bennett, and dams Mica and La Grande in Quebec and I would say these are big projects. They may have caused a lot of concern to the environmentalists over the years because of their size and because of the lack of environmental planning that went into them. We are all well aware of the effects the Peace River, Slave River and the Mackenzie River are feeling now from the dams on the Peace River in British Columbia.

If hydro is planned properly and built with the environment in mind, it is perhaps the best way to go. We use a lot of power in the territories. Our only source, in many cases is diesel and until we get another form of energy in the north, we will be stuck with diesel for a long time. So any time hydro can be developed with the environment in mind, we must use it.

I extend, on behalf of the people of Yellowknife South, congratulations to the Dogrib Power Corporation and the people for this great venture that they are undertaking. Thank you.

---Applause