News/North should have allowed a full page for Lou Covello's map on page 34 on July 20. I couldn't even read it under a magnifying glass.

The Chamber of Mines favours the East. It is for sure the East is rich in minerals. But don't sell the West short, there is life beyond mining! For instance, a brief was in the business section in News/North July 20, titled "NWT joins economic forum." Premier Floyd Roland and ITI Minister, Bob McLeod were accepted as the newest members of PNWER which is Pacific Northwest Economic Region.

The President is Senator Lesil McGuire of Alaska. It is a USA and Canada forum that meets annually to discuss global economic opportunities. When I first read about it in 2007, I wondered how come the NWT wasn't a partner?

But we are a partner now. They call the region Cascadia. The west has felt neglected by Ottawa, all the concentration is on Ontario and Quebec, and you must have all heard of the Bering Strait tunnel, the passage would link Asia, Russia, China and India to North America. They intend to have high speed railway, a highway, pipeline, fibre optics.

They say it will cost $60 billion. It is going to happen. An international route under the strait to go through Alaska and B.C. The English Tunnel is 31 miles, the Bering Strait will be 55 miles. Yes sir, the whole Western provinces and the American states have been restless for a long time, so is the Yukon and now our NWT has joined the Western group.

I don't think Premier Roland and McLeod are a good choice to sit on this board on our behalf. They should put dynamic business men to represent us, someone like dynamic businessman Joe McBryan, whose company is in Turkey, training people over there - or RTL's owner Marvin Robinson (men with vision)! I don't trust or have faith in the GNWT - especially after they loaned four or so millions of our money to an Ontario airline company.

By the way, you people keep an eye on that money. Make sure they pay us back. Ottawa is watching us. Maybe that is the reason we are going to lose the $50 million northern economic development agency headquarters to Nunavut.

In any case, I really don't care. $50 million over five years is like crumbs. They will spend that money all in wages for the huge staff they will hire and rent. You all know government and how they operate just look at that pipeline office they opened in Yellowknife.

We must keep the pressure in the fight for the highways all through the whole two territories. The Yukon is so advanced, thanks to the Americans, who built the Alaska highway through their territory.

And Billy Erasmus, as newly-voted-in president of the Dene Nation, should keep fighting for the Mackenzie Highway and forget the idea of writing our constitution. I know the Dene Nation support the highway, they even said they want to build it. So, Billy, don't get off track - we in the valley need your political support. Heaven forbid we are sitting in the largest, last frontier land on Earth, so rich and beautiful and our government and leaders act like a bunch of timid beggars, pinching pennies, cutting funds here and there.

The three territories are the last rich frontiers and Canada needs to be awakened to the fact, or as the PM said, use it or lose it, just keep in mind the tunnel is going to happen. Are you ready to meet the invaders! Visitors will be coming by the millions and some will make the Territories home!! The world is moving forward, over populating, we must wake up to reality! We are living in the world's last paradise, but we are not untouchable. Am I confusing you? If so, good.