Natural Resources committee  There could be increasing interest. We've certainly seen reconnaissance seismic interest in exploring that area.

Natural Resources committee  Very quickly, the north has a wealth not just of natural gas, and you quoted natural gas prices, but of potential oil resources. What I quoted was the interest in oil in the shale. The shale is the source rock of the big Norman Wells oil field, which is producing still. There's a

Natural Resources committee  In our sector—the northern affairs sector—we lead that exercise for the minister. We participate as oil and gas managers in those discussions. We devolved oil and gas management and legislative control to Yukon a number of years ago, over a decade ago. We are currently in the pro

Natural Resources committee  Largely, I can point to the Canada benefits plan Michel talked about. Our guidance over the years has been for the industry not only to work with the local population but also to work with territorial governments, because they have the lead in terms of education and training. C

Natural Resources committee  It comes back to the Canada benefits plan. The minister has to approve those plans before any activity can be approved by the National Energy Board. We make sure the industry has then investigated all of those possibilities to pull in the territorial governments and their educati

Natural Resources committee  Thank you. I'll turn to my colleague Michel Chenier, because we do have a legislative base for benefit plans from the industry, and he can explain how that operates.

Natural Resources committee  I'll try to answer that question, but on a very high-level basis, because clearly a regulatory oversight body could give you better clarity in terms of that. Under BREA, for instance, it's the National Energy Board officer who is leading and chairing the working group looking at

Natural Resources committee  There have been a lot of different ways they have done that. If I could jump to certain major opportunities, like the Mackenzie gas project, it brought with it a great deal of investment in training. A rig was brought to the Aurora College in Inuvik, for instance, for deckhand tr

Natural Resources committee  Yes, there are definitely a lot of things at play. I agree. There is a great deal of potential. There is vast potential, as I mentioned. About 35% of Canada's remaining conventional oil and gas lies in the north. We have seen, obviously, cycles of exploration that have led to

Natural Resources committee  Thank you. I think our name has changed recently in the last few months. It's Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada now. Thank you. I am pleased to have this opportunity to share my department's perspective on oil and gas developments and future plans in Canada's

Natural Resources committee  I mentioned earlier in answer to a previous question that prior to the National Energy Board taking over the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act responsibilities, there was a review done by the Environmental Impact Review Board pursuant to the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, whereby th

Natural Resources committee  They have just put out, on June 10, an invitation for participation and comments on the scope. So we have yet to decide what the government department's role will be in that review.

Natural Resources committee  I don't have the facts before me.

Natural Resources committee  The NEB has two distinct legislative-based mandates, and the—

Natural Resources committee  I will tell you that. Under the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act, it is not cost-shared. The industry does not pay for the NEB's regulation.