Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on January 6th, Echo Bay announced the temporary closure of the Lupin Mine. The impact was on approximately 480 total employees, we are told. Of those, 40 were full-time positions from Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay in my constituency. There were another 15 to 20 part-time seasonal jobs affiliated with that for work on the Ulu Project and the ice road. That equates to approximately $2.5 million to $3.5 million of income. This supposedly temporary closure is regrettable. It is regrettable to the company and their shareholders for their investment in the Northwest Territories. It is regrettable for the businesses that provided some of the services. Mr. Speaker, not only is it regrettable, but it is tragic for all the employees that were employed there, employees who had mortgages and loans, employees who had families to support.

Of particular concern to myself, of course, is the 50 to 60 families impacted in the Kitikmeot constituency. Although the layoffs have been a bad situation for them, there has been some positive aspects of the closure. The closure has drawn together the community agencies in support of the laid-off employees. The hamlet councils; the Kitikmeot Inuit Association; the Kitikmeot Community Economic Development Organization; the GNWT through the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and Education, Culture, and Employment. The regional health and social services boards have all come together to support the laid-off employees, along with Human Resources Development Canada. Representatives of those organizations have formed the working group that are committed to minimizing the impact on these laid off employees and assisting them in their time of transition. Skilled profiles will be collected of the employees. Assistance will be provided in developing resumes which will be forwarded to mining and exploration companies. Income producing and training opportunities for those wishing to access them will be provided. Personal counselling and money management counselling will be provided to those wishing to access them. In the interim, two former employees have been contracted, Lucy Ivarluk of Kugluktuk and Eddie Maniyogina of Cambridge Bay to act as a liaison between the laid-off employees and the support group. I want to close by saying I commend all those involved in the spirit of cooperation that they have put together in trying to assist these employees in their time of need. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause