Joining forces
Premier meets with Alberta business leaders

Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 12/00) - The campaign to sell the new NWT in the south continues full steam ahead.

Earlier this week, six days after meeting with Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Premier Stephen Kakfwi delivered the message of a new and prosperous NWT to the territories' biggest trading partner, Alberta.

Highway north 'doable'

If we're going to build a pipeline, might as well throw in a road while we're at it.

That's an idea Premier Stephen Kakfwi said the territorial government is promoting in talks with the Government of Canada.

"If a pipeline is going down the valley, it's an opportune time as well to talk about infrastructure connecting Canada to the Arctic," said Kakfwi when asked whether the issue of a national highway strategy was broached during an April 4 meeting with Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

"It's important to recognize the significance of aboriginal people saying it's time to connect the Arctic and the Mackenzie Valley to the rest of Canada," Kakfwi said.

The provinces and territories have been lobbying the federal government for such a strategy, which presumably would include more federal funding for highways.

"This is a corridor and a highway should be part of that overall strategy. It's not like we're starting from scratch. We could simply go from Liard, to Tulita, to Norman Wells, to Good Hope to Tsiigehtchic - this is doable."

 

"I think we're doing it right," said Kakfwi Tuesday. "We've captured the attention of Ottawa. They're interested in a way we haven't seen in years. We have an opportunity now. We have to build on it."

The premier spent the day meeting with leaders of the Alberta business community. He addressed the Calgary Chamber of Commerce in the morning, met with oil and gas company executives during the day and attended a dinner hosted by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

"I think people in the morning and throughout the day were quite excited about the idea that the aboriginal people who were the very ones who opposed the natural gas pipeline in the '70s were now the ones that are proposing that now's the time and want to do it themselves," Kakfwi said.

The premier emphasized to the chamber of commerce that Alberta has much to gain from mining and oil and gas development in the North.

Kakfwi noted that between 1991 and 1995, Alberta and the NWT averaged $385 million in trade annually.

Kakfwi said mega projects in the North are particularly profitable for Alberta. He estimated 95 per cent of purchases for construction of the Diavik diamond mine will be made from businesses in the south. Seventy per cent of that spending will be done in Alberta.

He said the continued economic development of the North will depend on resource-revenue sharing negotiations with the federal government.

"As Canadians with a business stake in the result, you can encourage the Government of Canada through your association and its affiliates to deal expeditiously and fairly with us in these negotiations," Kakfwi told the chamber.

The message being delivered in Ottawa is that aboriginal groups and the territorial government will need a share of resource revenues - royalties and taxes - if the NWT is to take the leap toward self-sufficiency.

"I have advised the federal government that they should indicate very quickly whether or not it is in Canada's interest to support the idea of putting a pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley, bringing Canadian natural gas to market and support a major aboriginal initiative," Kakfwi said.

"That has to work in tandem with devolution. By the time the gas starts to flow a revenue sharing agreement will be in place."

The NWT premier will be attending a meeting of western leaders next month in Brandon, Manitoba.