I give the Member and other Members the assurance that the Economic

Opportunities Strategy is built on solid relationships and establishing those relationships and ensuring that the Northwest Territories economy is going to be one that is diversified.

We will have big projects and opportunities like we do in the Sahtu and perhaps on the offshore, but we can’t lose sight of the smaller things, the things that are more important, and that is small business, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Those I think will be key as we move the Economic Opportunities Strategy forward because those smaller things have much more opportunity to get people employed in the smaller communities.

At ITI we continue to support the traditional economy. We think there’s a future in trapping. We support programs like Take a Kid Trapping and the Harvesters Assistance Program, and we continue to do that. Fur continues to fetch high prices at market, and that’s money and jobs that get right back into the smaller communities here in the NWT. Thank you.