(check against delivery)

Thank you Consul General Savone, and Premier Selinger.

Thank you to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, and to everyone who is here today, for this opportunity to meet, learn and share.

I am very pleased to be here in Shanghai to speak on behalf of the Canadian Premiers participating in the Council of the Federation Mission to China.

Our provincial and territorial governments play an important role in promoting and developing trade and investment opportunities between Canada and China, and events like these provide us with an opportunity to continue to expand our networks and deepen our productive relationships.

We have so much to learn from the Chamber of Commerce, with your understanding of the intricacies of Canadian and Chinese businesses working together.

This is something that is of key importance to the Northwest Territories, as we seek to expand and build on our ties with China. I would like to take an opportunity to share a bit about the Northwest Territories.

Our territory covers a huge land mass of 1.17 million square kilometers, but we have a small population, with less than 50,000 residents living in 33 communities.

To put things in context, our population would fit twice in Shanghai stadium, but is spread out over a space almost the size of Mongolia, but several degrees farther north. Our southern most border begins at the 60th parallel.

The Council of the Federation, as Premier Selinger has spoken to, is of importance to all of us, but it helps particularly for smaller jurisdictions such as mine to work together with our partners across Canada to advance issues of importance to all Canadians.

For example, Premier Selinger is one of the leads of the work the Council is doing to renew the Canadian Energy Strategy, which will allow our provinces and territories to create jobs and grow our economies, build manufacturing opportunities, and encourage the development of innovative energy solutions that will promote a sustainable energy future, with the potential for international benefit.

This trade mission itself is another example of the ways Premiers are working to promote Canada’s gateways and corridors, our abundant natural resources, and educational excellence and opportunities in China.

For the Northwest Territories, our relationship with China is still in its early stages relative to some of our provincial and territorial counterparts.

At the same time, this relationship holds tremendous potential, as we have much to offer that I believe may be of interest to your businesses.

We have incredible resources in our territory.

• Our small population is spread over a vast range of pristine wilderness and untouched landscape, with great tourism potential.


• Our population includes a fascinating variety of Aboriginal cultures – as an example, our government has 11 official languages that include 9 traditional Aboriginal languages.


• Wild fur from the Northwest Territories is of excellent quality and known as some of the best wild fur in the world.


• We are the 3rd highest producing diamond region in the world, by value, with immense mining activity and potential from copper and gold to rare earths.


• We have a wealth of untapped energy resources, including an estimated 81.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and nearly seven billion barrels of oil. This does not include extensive off-shore resources.

 

The Northwest Territories truly are spectacular, and I am very pleased to have the opportunity to convey this through this lunch today, and throughout this trade mission.

I look forward to learning and sharing more with you.

Thank you.