Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak briefly on the issue of the conference that is being held in the South Slave, in Fort Smith from the 7th to the 9th. It is the third phase of the Building Communities Strategy. The focus and theme is, Tourism, A Tool for Community Development. I would like to commend all the players that have come together to pull this conference off. We have RWED, MACA, and Education, Culture and Employment as the main Government of the Northwest Territories players, along with Aurora College, Wood Buffalo National Park, Northwest Territories Arctic Tourism, Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities and Canadian Tourism Commission. As well, the participants include all levels of leadership at the municipal, Metis and band level, and at the community level.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very, very important conference. The issue of tourism has been before this House for years. I would like to commend the three main departments for the work they have done and the fact that they are working so cooperatively at the regional level.

I would also like to commend all the communities that are taking the time to attend this conference. There will be a host of us going down tomorrow. I would like to thank my colleagues for taking the time to come to Fort Smith, along with our constituents who will be there from the South Slave. As well, we are going to get the benefit of Mr. Lafferty and some Ministers coming down as well.

I think this is a very valuable conference. Tourism for us is critical. We do not have oil, we do not have gas or diamonds, but we do have a lot of tremendous tourism assets. I would like to thank all the participants. I look forward to our visit tomorrow. I would like to commend the departments within the Government of the Northwest Territories that have worked so hard, and a lot of the other staff at community and regional levels for pulling this together. Thank you.

-- Applause