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TuesdayFebruary320157POLITICSLOBBYINGNortherndelegatesschmoozethesouthatNWTDaysStudentex-patsindustrygovernmentandtouriststargetoflobbyingmissionNWTgovernmentsettingupminingadvisoryboardMinisterhopeful2015willseecontinuedgrowthinexplorationspendingByMEGANDELAIREBelindaBreadmoreleftYellowknifeandtheNorthwestTerritoriestostudyattheUniver-sityofOttawain2011.Likemanybeforehershewasdrawnsouthbytheprospectofause-fulpost-secondaryeducation.Withapopulationofonly43000-currentlydecliningatarateof200peopleeachyear-populationgrowthisatoppriorityfortheNWTgovernmentwhichseekstoadd2000peopletotheterritoryoverthenextveyears.ThatwasoneoftheissuesaddressedbytheNWTgovernmentwhenittraveledtoOttawainfull-forcewithMLAsindustryrepresenta-tivesandAboriginalleadersforNWTDayslastweekapoliticallobbyingmissionandculturalshowcasemeanttoputNWTissuesonthefederalagenda.BreadmoreandotherstudentexpatriatesfromtheNWTsatdownonthelastmorn-ingofNWTDaysforabreakfastwithwithMinistersMichaelMiltenbergerTomBeau-lieuandJacksonLafferty.SheconfessedthatnothingtheministerssaidhadconvincedhertomovebacktotheNWT-itwasherplanlongbeforeshesatdown.YellowknifeishomeformetheNorthhasalwaysbeenhome.TheresnootheroptionformeIthinkthatswhereIwannabeshesaid.Ithinkalotofusheredenitelyplanongoinghome.Ithinkalotofpeopledidntneedtheirmindsmadeup.ThatcameasgoodnewsfortheGNWTwhichhasbeentryingtoleveragemoretrans-ferfundingfromthefederalgovernmentthroughapopulationboostandstudentswerenottheonlydemographictobewooedbytheNWTdelegation.Memberscoveredpoliticalculturalandcommercialfrontsliaisingwiththefederalgovernmentindus-tryassociationsthecuriouspublicandforthersttimeeverinternationalpartnersinembassiesacrossthecity.TheultimategoalofNWTDays2015wastopromoteinvestmentindustryandim-migrationintheNorthinordertonurtureastrongsustainableeconomy.Informationondiamondminingoilextractiongreenen-ergyandgeneralmaximizationofresourceswasexchangedbetweenindustryrepsfromtheNorthandthosefromnationalandglobalmarketswhomightinvestinextractingtheabundantnaturalresourcesoftheTerritories.Meetingswithfederalrepresentativesalsosoughtoutaraiseddebtceilingfortheterri-torywhoseborrowinglimitisnowcappedat800million.NWTofcialswantthatlimitincreasedto1.8billiontoinvestincriti-caleconomicinfrastructurelikeroadsandhydrotransmissionlines.Theprimeministerindicatedthatwecouldexpectaresponsethatitwouldprob-ablybetiedinwiththeAprilbudgetprocessMcLeodsaidofthenancialdiscussions.OptimizingdevolvedpowersThisyearsassemblythesecondNWTDayssincetherstin2013wasespeciallysignicanttakingplace10monthsafterthenaldevolu-tionofpowerfromthefederalgovernmenttotheGNWT.LastApriltheNWTgovernmentsuccessfullygainedmorecontroloverlandwaterandresourcesintheterritory.AlmostayearintodevolutiontheGNWTisnowtry-ingtooptimizethispowerbreakinggroundonprojectsliketheInuvik-TukhighwayandtheMackenzieValleyFibreLine.InaninterviewwiththeNorthernJournalMinisterofFinanceandEnvironmentandNat-uralResourcesMichaelMiltenbergerpraisedhisgovernmentshandlingofthiswiderberthofresponsibility.WealwayssaidthatwewoulddevolvethenevolveandIthinkthatwevehadaseamlesstransitionMiltenbergersaid.Therehavebeennomajorissues.Ithinkthatwevebeenabletotakeonalltheseresponsibilitiesandthatweredoingagoodjobofit.ExpandingtransportationandcommunicationinfrastructureintheNWTpost-devolutionwasthefocusofaspeechbyPremierBobMcLeodduringNWTDaysNorthStarGalaonJan.29.McLeodannouncedtoanaudienceofdelegatesprovincialpremiersandinternationalconsul-atestaffhisgovernmentsplanstoresearchthelogisticsofbuildinganenergytransportationandcommunicationcorridoralongtheMack-enzieValleytotheArcticOcean.Whatweareproposingtodoisathoroughreviewoftheissuesopportunitiesandchal-lengesthatmightbeassociatedwithacor-ridoralongtheMackenzieValleyMcLeodsaid.InconjunctionwiththeannouncementMinisterofIndustryTourismandInvest-mentDavidRamsaylaterissuedacallforbidsforexplorationlicencesforparcelsoflandlocatedintheCentralMackenzieValley.CultureshowcasedMorethanjustapoliticalfunctiontheNorthStarGalaservedasanimportanteventontheculturalfrontofNWTDays.DreamyNortherninspiredlightingandscenerydisplaysofartcui-sineandaperformancebyJunowinningNWTsingerLeelaGildayweresomeofthecharmsemployedbyeventorganizerstoseducethesouthwithavividglimpseofNorthernculture.McLeodexpressedoptimismaboutthegainsmadeduringNWTDays2015whichwasbroughttoacloseonFeb.2.Beingphysicallyonthegroundinthemeet-ingsthatwevehadandtheresponsefromthedelegationandalsothegalalastnightIdsayweveachievedsignicantresults-surpassedourexpectationshetoldTheJournal.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheterritorialgovernmentishopingtobuildonlastyearsgrowthinmineralexplora-tionspendingagainin2015withmoreinputfromindustryinsidersatthepoliticallevel.IndustryTourismandInvestmentITIMinisterDavidRamsayannouncedlastWednesdaythattheGNWTisintheprocessofestablishingaminingadvisoryboardfortheNWTaimedathelpingtoensuretheterritoryisseenasanattractiveplacetoin-vestinexplorationanddiscovernewmines.ThatboardwillgiveusinformationonhowwecanmaketheNorthwestTerrito-riesthebestminingjurisdictionthatwecanmakeitRamsaysaidduringateleconfer-encefromtheMineralExplorationRoundupinVancouver.Wecantsitaroundandwaitforthingstohappenwehavetomakethingshappenhesaid.Nowisthetimetobereallyputtingarenewedfocusonexploration.Theexistingminesarentgoingtobethereforeveranditsimportantthatthatworkstarttodayontry-ingtondtheminesoftomorrow.Recommendationstocreateaminingad-visoryboardwereincludedintherecentNWTMineralStrategycreatedwithcon-siderableinputfromtheNWTNunavutChamberofMines.Thefocusoftheboardwillbeonregula-toryissuesraisingcapitalcommunityedu-cationpromotingminingandthewayin-dustryviewstheNorthwestTerritoriesasajurisdictiontheministersaid.Ramsaysaidhehassomeideasofindi-vidualshewouldliketoappointbutsaidnothingisdenitive.Thosepositionswillbeunpaid.Ithinkitsimportantthatwehaveagoodcross-sectionoftheminingindustry-folksthatareinvolvedintheservicesideproducersexplorers-andreallywerelookingforpeo-plethathaveonthegroundexperienceintheNorthwestTerritories.Thatsveryimportant.AsimilarboardexistsintheYukonwherethechairandthe10to12membersmeetonceaquarter.RamsayexpectstheNWTboardtohavefewermembers-aroundsixtoeight-tostartandhopesitwillstartmeetingbyMay.Weshouldbeabletopopulatethatboardverysoonhesaid.IvealreadyhadsomepreliminarydiscussionswithwhoIdliketoseeonthatboard.RidingtheupswingWhilemineralexplorationspendingwasdownacrossthecountrylastyearaccordingtorecentestimatesreleasedbyNaturalRe-sourcesCanadaspendingintheNWTactu-allyroseby32percentin2014.Ramsayhopesthatspendingkeepsrisingoverthenextyear.TheresarenewedfocusontheSlavegeo-logicalprovincehesaid.Weveseenalotoffolkswhowereinvolvedintheearlydaysofthediamondrushinthe1990sbackwithnewcompanieslookingfordiamonds.Apartfromthe800millionincapitalspendinganticipatedforthenewGahchoKuediamondmineinlate2016kimberlitediscoveriesnorthofthesiteattheKennadyexplorationprojectaresomeofthebestre-sultsthatweveseenintheterritorysdia-mondhistoryRamsaysaid.Furthermoreanew5-millionstudytobecarriedoutbytheNWTGeoscienceOfceoverthenexttwoyearscouldholdpromisefornewkimberlitepipediscoveriesintheCentralSlaveprovince.WhilediamondsholdthemostpromiseRam-saysaidtheterritoryisalsofocusedondiver-sifyingthesectorandisexcitedaboutthe18millionworthofworkhappeningatCanadianZincsPrairieCreekminethiswinteralongwithtungstenminingintheMackenzieMountains.ThefuturelooksreallygoodforusRam-saysaid.Ithinkwellseeacontinuedclimb.Thebottomdroppedoutin2008butwehaveseennumbersrebound.AswellwithjuniorsleadingthewayinexplorationacrosstheNorthRamsaysaidthegovernmentplanstoreviewthemoneyofferedthroughitsnewMiningIncentiveProgramwhichdoledout440000toju-niorsandprospectorsinitsrstyearoutofatotalaskthatwascloserto1.2million.Ithinkaswemoveforwardwereallyneedtorevisitthatnumberhesaid.IthasbeenacatalystIthinktogettingsomemoreex-plorationhappeningintheterritorysothemoreeffortwecanputinthereandthemoreresourceswecanputintothatprogramIthinkitisgoingtohelpusinthelongrun.INDUSTRYMININGPremierBobMcLeodaddressesacrowdattheNorthStarGalaatNWTDaysinOttawaonJan.29.PhotoMeganDeLairePhotocourtesyofCanadianZincCorp.Some18millionworthofworkistakingplaceatCanadianZincsPrairieCreekminethiswinterhelpingtodiversifythediamond-dominatedminingindustryintheNWT.