Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Slave River flows into the Northwest Territories out of the confluence of the Athabasca and the Peace River. Over 20 years or so ago, the Alberta government took a very close look and spent about $30 million on the feasibility of a dam on the Slave River. For the last six to eight months now, Alberta, through ATCO and TransCanada Power, has decided to revisit the feasibility of that project. They've quietly been reviewing the data and information that's available and are continuing to ramp up their level of interest. Mr. Speaker, they will be coming north to Fort Smith for their first visit with their advance people to talk to the community leadership, to get to know the community, first having gone to Fort Chipewyan and Fort McMurray. I stand here today because I've been speaking about this now for the last six to eight months, when I first became aware of their interest.

Mr. Speaker, the Slave River provides 60 to 80 percent of the flow into Great Slave Lake. We now know that the flows are 30 to 40 percent below their normal flow rate. We have the concerns of what is happening in Alberta already with the resource development and the drawdown on their own water systems. This project, when it was talked about back in the '80s, was for 1,800 megawatts, about a $7 billion project, which would have put a dam, riverbank to riverbank, on the Slave River. This time the vice-president from ATCO told me they're looking at some type of run-of-the-river option, but they're still looking at generating a maximum amount of power and the cost of that particular project will probably be well above the $7 billion mark.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here to raise this issue because last time it was seen as something of a local or regional issue. But I think people have become much more informed over the last 20 years and recognize the damming of one of the major rivers in the world would have significant impact on the Northwest Territories, from the 60th parallel all the way to Ulukhaktok and beyond. It's something that I stand here to raise in this House so that people will pay very close attention to what is happening and what is going to unfold if the Alberta government and these companies choose to proceed. I would hope, and ask, that the territorial government, in fact, be in contact with the Alberta government and these corporations to ensure that we are fully apprised and at the table throughout all these discussions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause