Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment today. I have received communication from the Minister. He advises me that he is aware of the economic downturn in Hay River and several different initiatives have been expedited. Things have been happening there. We need something that is going to have a large and long-lasting effect on the economy in Hay River.
We don’t have to think back very far to how many millions of dollars this government spent when we saw an opportunity for economy from the secondary diamond processing, when this government stepped up with loans, loan guarantees, training dollars, and it was all in the interest of putting people to work and enhancing the economy of this area for the most part.
I’d like to ask the Minister of ITI if his officials have had any communication with Tamerlane Ventures about some of the obstacles or challenges that they may be facing in getting ready to open a mine close to Hay River in the South Slave that would benefit our region greatly.