Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development
April 11, 2016

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development:

Welcoming Delegates from Nunavut

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this House today to welcome to the province a delegation of 15 of our friends and colleagues from Nunavut. The delegation, made up of officials from both inside and outside government, is here this week to meet with Provincial Government officials and industry representatives to further solidify the work that commenced with the signing of last year’s Memorandum of Understanding between our two jurisdictions.

Our province has been working in Arctic-like conditions for centuries, developing mining operations in Labrador, oil and gas reserves in harsh environments, and throughout our history, going north to fish. We share many of these circumstances with the people of Nunavut. Our historic MOU has been a significant step toward formalizing mutually-beneficial partnerships between our jurisdictions – because, together, we are stronger.

As geographic neighbours, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nunavut share a strong sense of culture. We also share a like-minded approach to safe and sustainable development that respects the environment and traditional ways of life. With so many opportunities on the horizon, in the coming week we will continue to build on the work that began at our initial meetings at the Northern Lights Conference in Ottawa, continuing to work together to ensure future development is safe and sustainable for the people of the north.

Thank you.

2016 04 11                              2:00 p.m.