Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 05/02) - Yellowknife's high schools are getting set for a deluge of students coming from all over Canada this weekend for this year's Interchange on Canadian Studies conference.

One hundred-and-thirty students are expected, with another 100 from both Sir John Franklin and St. Patrick high schools also participating in the week-long conference.

Most of the events will be held at NACC. It is the first time Yellowknife has hosted the conference since 1980.

"The paper (work) started last spring, and hasn't stopped," said Sir John Grade 10 student Louise Tumchewics, who is acting as chair for the student facilitating committee.

"Now that it's coming down to the last few days, we're all getting really excited."

Students will hear from a variety of speakers, including: Former premier Nellie Cournoyea, NWT writer Father Rene Fumoleau, and Senator Laurier La Pierre.

The most anticipated key note speaker, however, is Nature of Things host Dr. David Suzuki, who opens the conference Monday.

Interest in the conference and Suzuki has grown so widespread that organizers say they have been swamped with phone calls from people requesting an invite to the conference. But space is a problem.

"It's for the students only," said NWT ICS director John Stewart.