by Ian Elliot
Northern News Services

Inuvik (May 01/98) - Canada's environment ministers are coming to Inuvik this fall for a conference.

Stephen Kakfwi, the NWT's minister of environment and energy, is chairman of the Canadian Environment Ministers Association and convinced them last week to hold their next meeting here.

No date has been set for the meeting, which will include federal, provincial and territorial environment ministers, but it is expected to take place between Sept. 8 and 10.

The ministers, most of whom also hold energy portfolios, will be discussing issues including those relating to the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement signed by 161 countries including Canada that calls for major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15 years.

Most greenhouse gas is produced by the burning of fossil fuels like gasoline, and fears have already been raised that levying higher taxes or other penalties on the use of fossil fuels could have a negative effect on further oil and gas development in this end of the Arctic.

Kakfwi said last week that he wants to show the ministers the Inuvialuit-owned Ikhil gas project 45 kilometres north of town. The project will pipe clean-burning natural gas to Inuvik and be distributed here by an in-town piping system to be built next year. The project will reduce greenhouse gas when the town replaces diesel-burning power plants with natural gas and it shows both the GNWT's and native people's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

Inuvik MLA Floyd Roland was pleased with the announcement.

"Things are turning around," he said, referring to the ministers' conference and Inuvik being named as the host of the 1998 Territorial Figure Skating Championships.

Roland said the town has potential as a conference centre and the topic of getting conferences held here was identified as a priority at a community futures workshop he attended earlier this year.

"It's definitely good news. Anytime we can get the ministers into our riding, using our businesses, staying at our hotels, it's a good thing. They need the support."