Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I will be talking about a new society that was formed recently, the NWT Mining Heritage Society. Mr. Speaker, Yellowknife was built on mining. Many people came here, lived here and raised families here because of what lies within our rocky landscape. The great gold mines, Giant and Con, are evidence of that.
Today, especially with the diamond mines, this industry is still an engine that drives our city and the Territories' economy, which is why I am so pleased that on September 25th a formal board of directors was voted in at the first annual general meeting of the NWT Mining Heritage Society. Mr. Speaker, the group had been operating on an ad hoc basis for the last two years and came about partly when Giant Mine was being shut down. At that time a group of interested citizens got together to go to the mine and salvage mining equipment there before it was destroyed. They have stuck with it and from that effort a society has been formed.
The membership of the board includes Walt Humphries, who is the president; Mike Vaydik, vice president; Wayne Bryant, secretary-treasurer; Chuck Arnold, Diane Baldwin, Mike Beauregard, Mike Byrne, Dennis Olmstead and Yana Preston are the directors.
Mr. Speaker, I believe they have taken on a very important job. The society's mandate is to preserve mining heritage in the NWT and promote the development of facilities, sites and exhibits that will further the understanding and appreciation of mining, mineral exploration and geology industries in the NWT, all the while contributing to the tourism and economic potential of the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, although some of them are very well known, they all have diverse backgrounds and share an interest in seeing northern history preserved. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the society's major plan is to develop a mining museum in Yellowknife, an idea that I believe is long overdue. I understand that many tourists come up here and they are disappointed to find that there is no mining or geological museum or a heritage centre.
I want the people of the NWT to know that the society is up and running and they have a web page www.nwtminingheritage.com. I encourage NWT residents to log on to the web site if they have a chance and see what the society is up to. I will be doing it, and I wish them success in all their efforts and look forward to seeing...