Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on April 1st, 1997, the manned Nunavut weather station in Iqaluit is to be closed down as a budgetary measure of the federal government. I wrote Minister Marchi in September about this development. In November I met with Mr. Marchi's people in Ottawa with a representative of the Baffin Chamber of Commerce to address the closure. It would seem, to no avail. The Nunavut weather station in Iqaluit helps produce a twice-a-day forecast for 94 communities serviced by TVNC. It also supports international collection of scientific data for AT&T laboratories, collection of data for the University of Maryland and the University of New Hampshire, as well as seismology information for Energy and Mines Canada.
a manned, fully staffed weather station. Federal officials have informed us that weather observers through FSS would be provided. The next step may be automation, and we all have heard of the problems in the north to-date with that service. Mr. Speaker, I will be asking our territorial Minister later today on our government's position with this closure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.