Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to draw attention to something I am sure Yellowknifers and people across the Northwest Territories are going to be hearing more about in the coming months and years, and that is the movement in the tourism industry towards something called cultural tourism.

The Aurora Arts Society, Mr. Speaker, a group of volunteers here in Yellowknife from the arts and music community, came together over the last couple of years and with the assistance from our government -- I know RWED was a supporter -- has done an extensive research project and development piece here, which has laid the groundwork in the capital city for this exciting new approach.

Cultural tourism is something that in the modern tourism industry, Mr. Speaker, is a business as defined by our group here in Yellowknife: fostering, promoting, developing, and delivering year-round activities that reflect the unique arts and multicultural heritage of our community. This goes beyond what we might consider our traditional or usual ideas of culture or heritage. This goes into the history, the complexion, the stories and backgrounds of our entire region. Here in Yellowknife and in the North Slave, we have a history in aviation, in mining and in transportation, as well as the Aboriginal and other cultural communities that are part of this region, Mr. Speaker.

As a result of this study, community leaders in the business and in the arts community from Aboriginal and other levels are coming together. They are looking at this as a way for the tourism industry to really come into its own and mature and grow. Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to see this because this really is a way for us to put a whole bunch of advantages and products and ideas together and really make them work together. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause