Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, air is one of the world's most shared resources and clean air is one of its most valuable. Air knows no political or geographical boundaries. Pollutants we put in the air today will affect us tomorrow and in years to come. Today is a good time to contemplate the quality of our air. It is Clean Air Day in Canada. Clean Air Day is about all of us as individuals and as members of our communities making choices that help to create a cleaner and safer world for our families, future generations and ourselves.
The 2001-2002 annual report on the state of air quality in the Northwest Territories will be released today and posted on the department's Web site. This report summarizes information collected on air quality since monitoring first began in 1989.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that air quality in Yellowknife continues to improve since the closure of Giant Mine's roaster in 1999, concentration of sulphur dioxide and arsenic in the air have decreased significantly and are now barely detectible. The dust levels in Yellowknife continued to decline during 2002, and were the lowest recorded in the last decade.
I'm also pleased report that air quality in Fort Liard appears unaffected by ongoing natural gas exploration in the area. Despite this good news, it is critical that we remain vigilant. The increase in development of our natural resources, together with the growth of our communities, has the potential to affect the quality of our air. Thanks to the new partnership with the Government of Canada, the municipalities, the Northwest Territories has been able to establish a network of state-of-the-art air quality monitoring stations. The data gathered through this network will continue to be analyzed and reported to the public through reports such as that being released today.
In the future we anticipate making air quality information accessible through the Internet. We have recently upgraded our existing air quality monitoring stations in Yellowknife and Fort Liard, and are opening new stations in both Norman Wells and Inuvik. We will also be monitoring levels of dust this summer in Fort Simpson.
Mr. Speaker, today being Clean Air Day in Canada, I encourage all Members to breathe deeply and remember the importance and value of our clean air. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause