Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity today to congratulate the Yellowknife Smart Community Society, who were successful with their proposal and have been awarded $5 million in funding from Industry Canada. This will be matching funding. They will have to get out and beat the bushes and raise some money to get this money, but the funding will allow them to help the North become a leader in communications technology in things like phone, cable, Internet, wireless technologies.
In particular, I would like to recognize the efforts of Ben McDonald, who had the lead for this proposal on our city's behalf, and all the people who worked behind the scenes to make this a reality.
I would also like to recognize the Hay River Smart Community Society, who also had a proposal in. It is my understanding it was a top-notch proposal. They had intended to go ahead in either case, with or without the funding. I think that speaks volumes for the people in Hay River.
The challenge is to raise the funding to get the matching funding. Some money has been identified already, and it is quite substantial, $7.3 million in funding from organizations like NorthwesTel, the City of Yellowknife, Outcrop, Storefront, both education districts, the Literacy Council, Aurora College and the Yellowknife and Northwest Territories Chambers of Commerce.
Mr. Speaker, I think the time is now for the GNWT to jump in with both feet and support this initiative. There are no longer competing proposals. Yellowknife is proposing to open the scope of this project to include all Northwest Territories communities.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Yellowknife Smart Community Society, and wish them all the best.
-- Applause