Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke about the old Canadian idea about the Roads to Resources. The idea started in the 1930s but was popularized by the Diefenbaker government in the 1950s as a way to open the "frontier," as they thought of us in the old days.
The idea of generating wealth and creating opportunity is not out of date, Mr. Speaker. The road to the Slave Geological Province can be an important element in creating new paths to prosperity for the NWT.
Mining, as we know, provides generational opportunities for individuals, families, and communities. It provides training that can create portable skills, which can build long-standing careers. It provides wealth at the community level and investment in community infrastructure.
The life of any major project extends from exploration to development to production to eventual rehabilitation and reclamation. At all these stages, jobs, training, and opportunities are created. The benefits start with a good income, a good job for this year and many more to come. They develop skills in trades like carpentry, heavy equipment operation, construction, kitchen management and food services, electrical, and mechanical. More still, they help grow our knowledge economy, building expertise in geoscience, design, environmental science, project management, engineering, and traditional knowledge.
Mr. Speaker, in the past, the mining industry has been seen as a grubby, destructive, fly-by-night business, but today's industry is actively working to break that mould. It respects communities and Indigenous landowners. It commits to projects from exploration through to remediation. Today's miners aren't just hard rock drillers with headlamps, picks, and shovels. They are geological and environmental engineers.
Above and beyond mining, Mr. Speaker, this road will offer access to a region currently only accessible by air and winter road. That can provide more opportunities in tourism and recreation.
I know that there are deep concerns related to environmental impacts of this road, specifically for caribou habitat. Mr. Speaker, part of building the knowledge economy lies in finding ways that allow us to pursue development without environmental degradation.
Challenges always face us. We need to build on our skills, knowledge, creativity, and the resources of our people to surmount these challenge. We know we will have obstacles to overcome, Mr. Speaker. That should not stop us from moving forward on our long-term economic goals. I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.