Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I wish to speak about the need for a new airport terminal in Resolute
Bay. The replacement of this aging passenger terminal in my constituency is a very high priority for me and the community I represent. Our airport is very important to us in several ways. It is a vital facility for our growing tourism industry. Tourists and other visitors to Resolute Bay and the High Arctic must have a good impression when they arrive.
Resolute Bay is the gateway to the Arctic Islands, the new national park on Ellesmere Island, it is also the hub for the polar scientific activities. It is also the hub for employees' rotations and supplies for the Polaris Mine. It is also the terminal through which we receive the supplies we require from the South. There have been times, in the recent past, when Resolute Bay Airport was one of the busiest in Canada. It is my belief that in some time in the future when world-wide demand for natural gas and oil pick-up, this airport will once again become a very busy stage ground for oil and gas activities.
The current airport terminal was built in the early 1950s. One end is owned by Kenn Borek Air and the other end has an addition which was built by Pacific Western Airlines. The building is small and worn out. Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Government of the Northwest Territories took over responsibility for the Resolute Bay Airport and other A airports last year. I also understand that funding was built into the transfer agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories to allow the construction of the new terminal.
Mr. Speaker, I'm also looking forward to working with the Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Jim Antoine, and other Members of the Assembly to ensure that this very important, long-awaited project which has been built into the funding for the transfer of Arctic A airports proceed in a timely manner. Since the new Nunavut government is due to be established on April 1, 1999...
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude.