Thank you everyone for coming this evening and taking some time to have a discussion prior to the Charrette.  I am pleased to be joined by Minister Ramsay and Minister Miltenberger who both sit with me as members of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating and Climate Change Committee-of-Cabinet.

Thanks especially to Peter Tertzakian, Jim Burpee and Dr. Joe Arvai for travelling to Yellowknife to share your perspectives.  It is important that we hear from experts such as yourselves and look for ideas that can be adapted to our unique northern circumstances. There is exceptional energy and economic potential in the Northwest Territories and we are looking for ideas on how we can adopt ideas from other jurisdictions.  However I believe it is important to also understand that the north has a significant role to play in Canada’s energy future and in the global market place.

I know you will all be familiar with those unique northern circumstances but I want to highlight the importance of the Northwest Territories being able to address its energy needs and the economic future of our people.  We need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and develop a cost efficient sustainable energy supply.

We are here as part of the process to develop a new Energy Plan.  We do have some challenges.  We pay the highest rates for electricity and heating in the country and yet we have two communities  Inuvik and Norman Wells  who do not have a long-term, secure, reliable source of energy.

At the same time, we have tremendous opportunities.  Oil and gas development is set to grow in the Sahtu and new mines will be developed.  We need to look for ways to leverage those opportunities.

Perhaps I can turn to each of our guests of honour to provide a brief introduction of the work you do.  Thank you.