Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to each of you for coming today.
I really am excited about the optimism in your report, and about what I understand is the optimism of the elders as well.
I want to ask three questions.
In terms of the support for these projects by the community, I heard you say the elders are all agreed that they want to move forward with the plans as you have outlined them to us today. I understand that in the past there may have been some obstacles, so that's good to hear.
Second, I certainly support the idea of P3s. We're long past the day when we think government can solve these problems, so private-public partnerships are exciting. I'd like to hear you say a bit more about that, if you could, in terms of banks and other possible ideas.
I'm hoping that the infrastructure to be constructed over the next number of years, in addition to solving the problems on the ground, will also create some opportunity for employment and for economic development within. I know the Whitefeather Forest project is one that's already up and running, or well along. Will there be opportunities for the people of the Pikangikum, for example, to be involved in road construction, school construction, power grid work, and all those kinds of things as well?