Aboriginal benefits the focus of national economic forum
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 08/00) - Economic development has been both a hindrance and a boon to the progress of aboriginal people in the North.
How best to ensure aboriginal people benefit from non-renewable development will be the focus of a forum here tomorrow that will feature leaders from across the NWT.
"What this is is an opportunity for the membership of the National Round Table (on the Environment and the Economy) to hear live voices -- live Northern voices -- who are going to speak to the complexity of the situation in the North," said National Round Table executive director and CEO David McGuinty.
NRTEE advises the federal government, and the public in general, on how best to promote sustainable development, in this case, sustainable development in the Western Arctic.
Tomorrow's meeting is a follow-up on a workshop that occurred March 29-30. A draft report was prepared from the discussions that occurred at that meeting. On Friday the 25 members of NRTEE will debate the contents of the 90-page draft based on what was said the day before.
The report addresses issues such as capacity-building, improving the investment climate and cumulative effects management.
McGuinty said the report will be completed by January at the latest.
"A number of the measures being called for in this report will also be included in the National Round Table's submission to the Minister of Finance for the budget 2001-2002.
"We're asking for money to be spent in different ways in different areas and there is at least one tax measure."
Established by the federal government in 1994, NRTEE membership includes business, aboriginal, labour, academic and environmental representatives, all appointed by the Prime Minister.
Those scheduled to address the forum include premier Stephen Kakfwi, Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. president Stephen Prest, territorial finance minister Joe Handley, Dogrib Treaty 11 land claims manager Ted Blondin and Denendeh Development Corporation president John Bekale.
