27 January 2017
(Yellowknife, NWT – January 27, 2017) The NWT minerals industry was pleased to meet with the Northwest Territories’ Premier and Cabinet delegation and with the Nunavut Premier and staff, who attended the Exploration Roundup conference in Vancouver this week. Their attendance provide good opportunity to learn more about the minerals industry and strengthen investment in their territories.
“We are pleased that NWT Cabinet Ministers also attended this important conference to learn first-hand from investors what they can do to strengthen the NWT economy”, said Gary Vivian, President of the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines. “The conference concluded this week on an upbeat tone, with optimism that the Canadian investment climate may finally be turning positive. That being the case, it’s critical that government be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity.”
The Chamber of Mines had the opportunity to meet with the NWT Cabinet and, as government’s partner in the NWT Mineral Development Strategy, the Chamber provided its observations on government actions that can help improve the NWT’s investment climate to attract much needed investment. Federal statistics reveal that the NWT has lost its competitive position over the past 8 years, and missed out on over a billion dollars of investment. The actions identified by the Chamber of Mines would do much to sustain and grow northern jobs, business opportunities and government revenues, which will result in stronger, healthier northern communities.
Industry representatives were pleased with Premier McLeod’s comments that: “We are taking a whole-of-government approach to supporting the mining industry. We’re also here today to send an important message back home. To remind the people of the Northwest Territories that we are reliant on mining to drive our economy, in order to deliver on the programs and services that they need and deserve.”
Members of the Chamber of Mines Board also met with the Honourable Peter Taptuna, Premier of Nunavut and discussed a number of issues of mutual interest including carbon tax, land use planning, and devolution.
The minerals industry is the largest private sector contributor to both the NWT and Nunavut economies, providing thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars of business spending and significant federal, territorial and Indigenous government revenues annually. Attendance of the Premiers and the NWT Cabinet delegation sent an important message to potential investors that the NWT and Nunavut are serious about attracting new investment to the territory.
Click here for the Chamber of Mines’ presentation the NWT Cabinet.
For more information on the NWT and Nunavut mining industries, please visit the website at www.miningnorth.com or contact Tom Hoefer, Executive Director at Tel: 867-873-5281 or email: executivedirector@miningnorth.com.