Check against delivery 

Good afternoon, and welcome again to everyone.  

Before I start, I’d like to welcome my Ministerial counterparts and all the stakeholders and Indigenous representation both in the audience and on stage with us this afternoon.

This is my first PDAC experience as Minister of ITI and Infrastructure, and I am pleased that my first PDAC speaking engagement is at an important one like this.

Announcements like the one today, demonstrate the influence that strong partnerships can make. Together, these kinds of partnerships are leading the way back to prosperity in the NWT, across the North and for all of Canada.

The Northwest Territories is acutely aware of how critical it is that Canada continues to be a recognized world leader in sustainable and respectful mineral development, and exploration.

I have said it before, that collaboration will improve our collective fortunes, and I believe the coming together in support of this Action Plan, demonstrates this is one of the pieces that will guide us to that goal.

This action plan builds on the framework set by the Strategy that was released exactly one year ago, and I want to thank the Government of Canada for its work in setting the course.

It identifies a way for us to speak with one voice as we attract investment from across the globe. 

It is our roadmap to partnership at all levels of government to further geoscience research which can bring more attention to mineral potential and the resource-rich land, we call home.

It is a guide to increasing our investments in innovation which will keep Canada on the cutting-edge in the mineral industry, and it is a call to take leadership on climate change, while still using the strength of our resources to build a sustainable future.

The Northwest Territories will do its part to see this action plan through, and will continue to work with our partners to collaborate and share our strengths.  

It is my hope that this action plan will also feed into other priorities essential to realizing our mineral prosperity.  

Priorities projects like the Taltson expansion project, and Slave Geological Province Corridor, both of which will help connect resource-rich regions of the NWT to markets, help green the mining industry, and lower operating costs.

Investment’s in Canada’s North are investments for all Canadians, and I look forward to Canada’s continued support in realizing these transformative projects.  

Thank you again to the leadership of Natural Resources Canada, and our partner province and territories, towards this shared path forward.

I am excited to work with all our partners to realize our vision of Canada as a leaders in mining.