PM announces labour market agreements and highway construction projects for Canada's northern Territories

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  Thank you Minister Strahl for kicking off our work here today, and for the outstanding work you’re doing as Minister of Indian Affairs.  Greetings also to my three territorial colleagues, Premier Roland, Premier Fentie and Premier Aariak.  Also to all honourable ministers of the Northwest Territories and all honourable Members of the Legislative Assembly. Greetings as well to the aboriginal leaders joining us today. And finally, welcome to Mayor David Lindsay of Inuvik and Mayor Mervin Gruben of Tuktoyaktuk.  Thank you all for being here.

Ladies and gentlemen, this week marks the fourth consecutive summer tour that I've undertaken as Canada's Prime Minister. Mon message a été le même à chaque occasion  My message has been the same each time.  The North has never been more important to our country, more central to our national destiny.

Few regions of the world are so richly endowed with natural resources as we are right here.  If we commit ourselves to the careful, responsible and sustainable development of these resources, they will fuel a future of unprecedented opportunity and prosperity.

On Tuesday I announced the creation of CanNor, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, a new entity dedicated to helping the North realize its full potential.  And an integral component of this agency will be the Northern Projects Management Office, a new initiative that will make the development review and approval process faster and more responsive to local interests and concerns.

Today it is my pleasure to make two more announcements that will further stimulate northern economic and social development.  The first is one that will help develop the North's most valuable resource of all, more valuable than its natural gas, than its oil, than even its gold or diamonds; I speak of course of its people.  Hardworking, ambitious and energetic, Northerners want to succeed, but many do not have the skills or training they need to achieve their dreams.  Particularly underrepresented in the northern workforce are aboriginal people, older workers and youth.

I am very pleased to announce that on behalf of our Government, I have today signed three historic labour market agreements with Premiers Roland, Fentie and Aariak.  Under these agreements, federal funding will be provided to ensure more Northerners get the training and skills they need to obtain good, secure and high-paying jobs.  Premier Fentie and I also signed a new labour market development agreement which will help the Yukon government design and deliver skills and employment training programs through the Employment Insurance system.  Similar agreements have already been signed with the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.  These agreements are part of our Government’s strategy to create the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.

My second announcement here in Yellowknife today is also about jobs for Northerners, specifically for the men and women of the Northwest Territories.  Under Canada's Economic Action Plan to counter the effects of the global recession, our Government has increased and accelerated investments in the renewal of our national infrastructure.  This short-term stimulus spending is creating jobs and boosting economic activity.  It is helping Canada work through the global recession as quickly as possible while setting the stage for our long-term prosperity.
 
Once again, I am pleased to announce that in partnership with Premier Roland's government, we are accelerating investment in five major highway reconstruction projects right here in the Northwest Territories.  These ready-to-go projects will stimulate employment and economic activity from the 60th parallel all the way to the Arctic Ocean.  They will make driving the vast distances between the communities of the territories faster, easier and safer.  And they will strengthen the foundations of the territorial economy.

The largest of these five projects is the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the historic Dempster Highway, the project launched by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1958 under his visionary Roads to Resources program.  By opening the Mackenzie valley to resource development, the Dempster Highway created wealth and opportunity for the Northwest Territories and for all of Canada.  My Government is committed to building on the Chief's legacy as part of our Northern strategy to assert Canada's Arctic sovereignty and stimulate economic and social development right across the North.

I want to thank Premiers Roland, Fentie and Aariak for helping make today's announcements possible.  Without strong cooperative relationships between our governments, they simply could not have happened.  This spirit of collaboration will be essential as we move forward with our Northern strategy.  Ultimately Canada's ability to assert and defend our Arctic sovereignty depends on strong, healthy Northern communities, fully engaged in local resource development projects and reaping the benefits of economic development.  Canadians living and working, exploring and developing, building families and communities in the North are the ultimate guardians of our sovereignty here, and you may rest assured that our Government will back you in all these endeavours.

Thank you.

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