Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 10/98) - Finance Minister John Todd reports that both NWT foreign investment Aurora Funds have been fully subscribed.

Yellowknife South MLA Seamus Henry asked for the status report last Wednesday.

"The Aurora Fund is currently sitting with somewhere around six of seven million dollars. As the applications come forward, the management team, which is an external team outside of the territories that provides their recommendations to the board of directors, we will approve these loans," said Todd.

Referring to the last dissertation on the Aurora Fund as a fiasco, Todd he would be happy to provide Henry with a detailed presentation on the Aurora Fund status including where the fund sits, how much money is in escrow and, if he wants, to whom the loans go.

Dead chickens

High Arctic MLA Levi Barnabas is concerned about dead chickens buried at a pig farm near Hay River.

He said it risks contaminating water sources to the communities of Hay River, Kakisa, Enterprise and some areas outside Fort Smith.

Barnabas tabled three written questions to Economic Development Minister Stephen Kakfwi last Wednesday in the House.

Barnabas wanted to know if the department has done anything to stop removal of siding of the barn, who is looking after the cleanup of the dead chickens and why nothing has been done about the situation for two years.

Fish economic study

Yellowknife Centre MLA Jake Ootes would like to see funding support for people who fish on Great Slave Lake.

Ootes said it has difficult in recent years for fishermen to make any kind of income from the fishery.

Resources Minister Stephen Kakfwi said money has been put aside to do a study to find out what can be done to make the industry more economically viable. Recommendations should come forward from fishermen in the next few months.