Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With regard to the Member's statement, the Member is certainly correct that this is one of the bigger challenges this government faces. He referenced the pipeline readiness office that DIAND has brought forward, and that is certainly something and a development that we are looking to work with. We do have the Mackenzie Valley preparedness division of RWED that is working in connection with the pipeline readiness office, and obviously there is a lot of collaboration that has to go on in order to make sure that residents are able to take care or take advantage of the economic development opportunities that will be coming their way. The Member referenced the community futures program. That is something that we believe is a cornerstone of economic development in the Northwest Territories, but it has been grossly underfunded historically. I think the Member knows that in the transfer with HRD in the early 90s, insufficient funding was transferred to cover all of the regions in the Northwest Territories. We have added to that pot with our own funds. The Business Credit Corporation has also made loans available to the community futures program at simply our borrowing cost. So we have been working with the community futures program to make sure that it meets as many needs as possible with residents of the Northwest Territories, specifically in this area to take advantage of economic development opportunities relating to the pipeline. Thank you.
Brendan Bell on Question 3-15(2): Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Opportunities
In the Legislative Assembly on January 20th, 2004. See this statement in context.
Return To Question 3-15(2): Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Opportunities
Question 3-15(2): Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Opportunities
Item 6: Oral Questions
January 19th, 2004
Page 11
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