Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Simcoe—Grey. I would also like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your recent appointment as our Deputy Speaker.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak in the House of Commons.
It it a great honour to be back in this Chamber. I say back because in 1975 I sat here in the House of Commons as a student participating in a model Parliament in seat 113. I did not think then that I would be representing Nunavut 22 years later.
I am proud to be the first female in the history of my riding to sit in the House of Commons and even more proud to be of Inuit descent.
I thank my constituents for the privilege of representing them at this crucial point in the future of Canada and Nunavut.
Nunavut covers 1.9 million square kilometres of our country. That is 20 per cent of Canada. It spans three different time zones and the population is roughly 25,000 people. The land covers fiords, mountains and tundra.
While I was travelling through the communities in my campaign I could not help thinking it was truly a lesson in geography. My constituency goes north to the North Pole, west to the Alberta-B.C. border, south to James Bay and east almost to Greenland. Nunavut has many international borders including Russia, Denmark and the United States.
This vast and untouched area has great potential for a natural resource based economy. Each year more exploration is going on in the north, in particular mineral exploration. Nunavut's high Arctic hosts two lead and zinc mines. This activity benefits northern communities by creating jobs for our population.
We need continued support for sustainable development and training in this sector. Alongside this is the challenge of protecting our environment. We have to make sure our land remains natural and beautiful.
We need to promote fisheries and the processing of country food. This along with tourism are areas that create employment in the north and must be explored as valid industries.
One of the mandates of the Government of Nunavut is to staff its public service with a 50 per cent Inuit workforce. This is a realistic goal considering that the Inuit population of Nunavut is over 80 per cent and the working language will be Inuktitut.
As we speak the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories are training Inuit to staff Nunavut's public service. Nunavut Arctic College has been instrumental in making education accessible and relevant to all Nunavut residents.
Last week in Iqaluit I witnessed the signing of a training agreement between the two governments that will ensure the employment targets are met.
Although governments are now training to staff the public service there have to be mechanisms in place to keep our youth in school and to pursue post-secondary education. There are many barriers that stand in the way of our youth attaining higher education. One avenue to keep youth in school is through athletics. There needs to be more focus on partnering schools and sport.
Twenty-seven out of twenty-eight Nunavut communities are coastal communities but all are serviced only by air. There are no roads. Air freight is the only reliable way to ship goods and perishable food. Communities receive non-perishables like fuel and construction material by sea lift, many of them only once a year.
Freight is the primary reason for the high cost of living in Nunavut. In many communities a four litre jug of milk costs $10, a loaf of white bread $2.69, a five pound bag of potatoes goes for $6.95 and a case of Coca-Cola will cost $41. With gas costing 71 cents a litre it is very expensive for northern residents to buy gas so they may go hunting for country food, which is still very much the main diet.
The constituency that I represent cannot be compared to any other part of the country. When I was in Iqaluit, the future capital of Nunavut, it was mentioned that Canadians are as ill-informed about their north as Americans are about Canada.
When I was going to high school in Ottawa I was asked before Christmas break by a classmate to bring back a stamp from my home so she could have one for her collection. This is one example of how true it is that Canadians forget that their country goes much further beyond 60° north. We are part of Canada and proud to be Canadians.
When people outside the north think of the Arctic, they think of igloos, polar bears, and arts and crafts. Carvings and crafts are a legitimate source of income to many families in the north and are relied upon to put food on the table. We have tremendously talented artists who need to have their work marketed. Therefore it is very disturbing for me to see imitation art displayed in stores. No one can replace the beauty of an original carving of the north. Means to promote economic development of art must be explored.
If any culture is truly unique and different within Canada, it is the Inuit culture. Our ancestors came here thousands of years ago, lived off the land and adapted to dramatic changes. In the span of roughly 35 years, Inuit went from igloos to houses, from dog teams to airplanes, and still kept their culture alive because we still use igloos and dog teams.
During my parents' time, Inuit used fox tags and wooden sticks to trade for supplies. Today my father has a Visa card and my mother can use her Interac card to do her banking, even though they do not speak any English.
The Inuit are a very adaptable people and I am very proud of the progress we have made in such a short time. These examples show that Nunavut residents are ready for the challenges that await them. The implementation of our long awaited territory is rapidly approaching and co-operation between parties involved is necessary.
I look forward to working with the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, the Interim Commissioner of Nunavut, the president of Nunavut Tunngavik, and the government of the Northwest Territories to make sure that Nunavut residents see a smooth transition on April 1, 1999 which is less than 580 days away. All of these parties, along with regional Inuit organizations, Qikiktani Inuit Association, Kitikmeot Inuit Association and Kivalliq Inuit Association, will be essential in providing me with real input as we face tough decisions.
The division of the Northwest Territories is the most significant and exciting event taking place before the turn of the century. It has not been since 1949 when Newfoundland joined Confederation that something of this magnitude has occurred in Canada.
Establishing the Nunavut territory is my priority as Nunavut's member of Parliament, but it must also be a priority of this House. This is monumental. I urge my colleagues in this House to take this chance to participate in making history in Canada.
It will be by working together and helping each other that we will accomplish the task. This is the way the Inuit culture survived thousands of years in a harsh and unforgiving climate. I was pleased to see this type of co-operation during the unfortunate crises of the floods in Quebec and Manitoba.
I want to close this speech by extending an invitation to those members of this House and those Canadians from across the country who have not yet had the privilege to see Nunavut to come and visit us. I guarantee that their experience will be unforgettable.
