Conference begins
Premiers arrive in city, media quick to gather

Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jul 03/98) - B.C. Premier Glen Clark was first to arrive in Yellowknife on Wednesday for the Western Premier's Conference. He was spotted at Yellowknife's famous Bullock's Bistro that evening.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein flew in Thursday on his government's Dash 8 and was immediately bombarded by Canadian media at the airport looking for insight on his coming talks.

Klein said the conference might be a good opportunity to listen to Northern concerns and to expand southern business relationships with the NWT.

"We know that there's a tremendous amount of economic activity now taking place in the Northwest Territories especially with respect to mining, diamond mining, some oil exploration and other forms of resource development," said Klein.

"It impacts Alberta tremendously because much of the material that is required for this development comes out of the province of Alberta.

"What ever happens here is of interest naturally to Alberta."

Premier Don Morin, greeted by fewer media at the legislature later in the evening during a media briefing, said one of his priorities is to raise awareness of Northern issues to southern media and bring the other premiers on side to force the federal government to hand over responsibilities for money-making resources to the North.

"I think the western premiers will pay great attention to this priority because, number 1, they benefit a lot more than the NWT does.

"It's ironic that Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, B.C., as well as Quebec and Ontario, will benefit more from any development in the NWT than we do as Northerners. That's just the way it is," Morin said.

"When we benefit in the North we share with all those other jurisdictions."

Klein, who said he would not be able to stay to fish at Plummer's Lodge over the weekend as had been planned, highlighted other issues up for discussion at the conference.

He expects they will be talking about strengthening provincial and Northern economies, the social union and fiscal arrangements, re-balancing of roles and responsibilities, health care, national child benefits, the national children's program, trade and international relations and youth employment.

"It's quite a full agenda," said Klein.