Natural Resources committee  The program was a four-year program. It wraps up in March 2012. There is no other program out of ASEP, because ASEP itself is being wound down. The federal government is looking at introducing some other initiatives. One is targeted at mining, education, and training, so we are gearing up with AREVA to look at submitting a proposal and keeping this very valuable initiative going.

Natural Resources committee  I'll condense the twenty minutes into two. I grew up in northern Saskatchewan in a community called Pelican Narrows. My family were fishermen and trappers. That was the primary mode of employment and socio-economic activity. There wasn't a lot of mining. There was some in the very far north with the original uranium mining, but aside from that and forestry, it was living off the land.

Natural Resources committee  To add to that, certainly we are investing in other areas of the world, but we are also still heavily investing in northern Saskatchewan. Both of our companies are very well represented in the Athabasca Basin, and we're probably the biggest spenders in that area. In no way are we leaving the north, and the Athabasca Basin in particular.

Natural Resources committee  With respect to the one in two, at our mine sites, 50% of our employees are northern first nation and/or Métis people. They are spread out over the different types of positions you see listed there. Unfortunately, the challenge for us going forward, and for the communities, is not a labour shortage as much as it is a skill shortage.

Natural Resources committee  Yes, we have had water inflow issues during the last few years. That has been sorted out, and we're scheduled to enter into production some time in the mid-to-latter part of 2013.

Natural Resources committee  Thanks for the question. From a Cameco perspective, just to give you an example, from 2004 to 2010 we procured 75% of all the services required at our mine sites from aboriginal-owned or majority aboriginal-owned companies, which equals about $1.7 billion in that six-year period.

Natural Resources committee  Well, certainly—

Natural Resources committee  Go ahead.