Check against delivery

Good evening. It is an honour to be here with everyone to celebrate excellence in mining and exploration.

Before I begin I would like to recognize the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, the NWT Geological Survey, and the many staff and volunteers who make this event possible each year.

It’s been a busy week for many of us with Geoscience events, seminars – the works. And each year it’s nice to conclude the week by recognizing some of the individuals or groups who contribute to the excellence that exists in mining and exploration across the NWT.

The Mining and Exploration Awards are all about celebrating excellence across the many areas which mining and exploration contribute to the NWT.

Each year, the GNWT is pleased to partner with the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines to make this awards night possible.

Through their contributions and commitment to sustainable, responsible development, the people and businesses that we will honour this evening have made lasting contributions to our territory and are an important part of the success of the industry.

You’ve all heard it many times – the NWT economy is characterized by immense potential.  And as I mentioned in my welcome speech earlier this week, in order to realize this potential we need the solid foundation of resource development with geoscience research at its core. Mining, in particular, will give our territory the economic strength to build out vibrant, diverse local economies across-the-board.

The GNWT is committed to supporting this industry and as the Minister of ITI, I look forward to working with and getting to know everyone in this room, who are making a positive impact on this sector.

So without further delay, let us begin the awards ceremony of the evening.

Thank you to each of you for coming tonight and I hope to have the chance to speak with many of you as the night moves on.