SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The controversial trip by five MLAs and two staff members to the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark in December cost well under the $86,000 budget allocated to the trip.

Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger said the trip's total cost rang in at $55,000.

He said unused money went back into general revenue.

"Everyone travelled very frugally, in the cheapest way possible. They didn't tarry," he said of the lower than budgeted price tag.

"Hopefully by the time we get through 2010 we won't still be talking about Copenhagen," he added.

Caribou questions continue

For the fourth straight day, Michael Miltenberger, who besides Finance is the minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, fielded questions about the emergency ban on caribou hunting, which began Jan. 1.

Many MLAs voiced opposition to the ban, arguing more consultation with aboriginal groups should have occurred first.

Miltenberger responded by saying that had the Wek'eezhii Renewable Resources board not run into delays, the territorial government wouldn't have been forced to deal with "the precipitous drop" in caribou numbers by imposing the ban.

Calling the caribou harvest the "essence of spiritual being of the aboriginal people of our North," Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said aboriginal groups' lawyers "are just going to waste more money on our lawyers and we're going to lose in our relationship of trust."

He called on Miltenberger to call a caribou summit to discuss the issue with Dene chiefs.

"We have some issues to work out with the Yellowknives and we're intent on doing that, but let's keep this thing in perspective," said Miltenberger. "We want to avoid the destruction of the Bathurst herd by making the right decisions." He said the long-term goal was preserving the caribou.

Harnessing power for the South Slave

The territorial government should be trying to find more ways to benefit from Avalon's proposed Thor Lake mine and help reduce electrical costs by supplying it with the surplus power from the Taltson Hydro Station, according to Jane Groenewegen, MLA for Hay River South.

She brought up the issue in the legislative assembly on Jan. 29, and asked what could be done to make it happen.

Bob McLeod, minister of Industry, Tourism and Industry, said Avalon's proposed mine would require six megawatts of power for heating and six more for operations. He said there is enough power but that electricity is earmarked to go to the diamond mines. He said laws were passed during the 15th assembly to allow the NWT Power Corporation to negotiate power rates directly with the diamond mines because their transmission lines wouldn't be regulated by the Public Utilities Board.

Groenewegen said laws should be altered to make room for supplying extra power to the proposed Thor Lake mine in the same way.

"We need to get creative. We made the laws in the first place," she said, citing the benefit the mine could have on the South Slave region.

Fur back in fashion; netting trappers profits

Fur sold by NWT trappers was a hot commodity at a wild fur sale held in North Bay, Ont., in January, Bob McLeod, minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, announced in the legislative assembly on Monday.

He said all 12,600 muskrats pelts were sold, as were 95 per cent of beaver and red fox pelts, netting a total of $100,000.

Significant interest came from Greek and Chinese buyers, said McLeod, adding that prices have rebounded by approximately 20 per cent. Trapping helps diversify the economy, McLeod said, adding there were more than 800 trappers in the NWT, the highest number since the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur program began in 2002.

"Trapping is not easy work," he said. "But it is rewarding work and it allows our people to get out on the land - just as their ancestors have done for centuries - and make a few dollars while they are at it."

McLeod said the next auction will be Feb. 19 in Seattle, Washington.