Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Members of the committee, thank you for giving Agnico-Eagle the opportunity to speak before you.
I'm sure that nearly everyone appearing before you on this study has indicated to you that the problem in the north is capacity, that it is a major obstacle to sustainable development. We would concur, but rather than spending time discussing that lack of capacity, I'd like to basically look at potential areas where we think solutions can be found.
AEM, or Agnico-Eagle Mines, is a widely held Canadian public company, and it has grown to become one of the top ten gold companies in the world. It is now one of the largest private sector employers in both Nunavut and northwestern Quebec.
Nunavut is an important component of the future well-being of Canada. There are significant mineral resources in this area that have already been discovered and delineated, and they're awaiting the next economic upturn in metal prices to become the future generation—