Mr. Speaker, as Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, I would like to congratulate two employees, Mr. Bob McLeod and Mr. Greg Hancock, who recently received national and international recognition for their achievements.

Mr. Speaker, the fur trade industry is important to many residents of the Northwest Territories. At the Montreal Fur Fair, the Fur Council of Canada sponsored a new award entitled Friends of the Fur Trade. This award recognized the work done by Mr. Bob McLeod when he participated on the Canadian delegation that negotiated a European agreement on humane trapping. This agreement set the standards which trappers use today to ensure that fur is harvested in a humane manner.

Mr. Hancock received the prestigious Silver REMI award at this year's Houston International Film Festival for two videos he produced -- the tourism video, Where Winter Begins, and the video called Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur: Fur Fashion Show. This is a remarkable achievement since over 4,300 entries were received. These videos will be instrumental in marketing both our tourism and fur products, and gaining international recognition is really an honour.

Finally, as it is Public Service Week, I would like to thank all the employees of the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development for their contributions and hard work in fulfilling the mandate of this department. Thank you.

-- Applause