Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of comments before I get to the Aurora Research Institute. The Member made reference to a couple of other areas. I guess what we recognize is that we need to work with other departments and have an inter-relationship. RWED is the funder of projects that are business oriented to stimulate business. What we have to recognize in our territory is that when we talk about arts and culture, this is also an economic issue because they too are creating employment. Any arts program, any heritage program or any cultural program creates employment and stimulates business and so forth. It is a contributor to our economy and an important contributor. Besides being important from the overall viewpoint of art and culture, it is nice to have and it is important for our heritage.
On the Aurora Institute, Mr. Chairman, the funding for that is approximately $950,000. The institute also raises some money on its own part. They administer a number of areas. One is the Scientists Act. Anyone carrying out scientific research in the Northwest Territories has to obtain a licence and we provide that licence.
We have three areas, Mr. Chairman, where we have facilities. We have the Inuvik Research Centre and we have the South Slave Research Centre in Fort Smith. The Inuvik one is, of course, in Inuvik.
We undertake a number of projects. For instance, a company in Yellowknife is developing fibreglass poles. I understand our research institute in Yellowknife has helped with that. They are working in support of 3000 Energy Wall with a housing construction project. There is the Mackenzie Valley cumulative impact monitoring database. They collect information on the Mackenzie Valley issues. They participate in the Arctic Millennium Exhibition. The Western Arctic handbook is produced. There is a Natural Resource and Technology Program providing classroom, office and laboratory facilities, for instance, to researchers and scientists.
Interestingly enough, I will take one second because the public might be quite interested in this. We have a Cosmic Ray Monitoring Program that we participate in. It is in Inuvik and in Fort Smith. That is data collection by the cosmic ray monitor, which provides information on the strength of solar and galactic cosmic rays and disturbances for the solar and terrestrial environment. This is used for weather predictions. We play an important part in that, Mr. Chairman. As well, we have the neutron monitoring station in Fort Smith.