Mr. Speaker, I thank the town of Iqaluit for the warm welcome and generous hospitality given to the delegates and ministers who attended their first ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council held September 17 and September 18.
The circumpolar peoples of the Arctic Council are committed to improving socioeconomic conditions and protecting the environment and cultures.
The people of Nunavut are very concerned with environmental issues. My ancestors depended solely on the land and sea for survival and today we Inuit respect and cherish that bond.
Therefore we were very happy to hear the same concerns expressed by the international community at the Arctic Council as well as all the initiatives to protect our joint heritage.
The people of Nunavut are also very aware of the problems faced by our children and youth in the transition from traditional Inuit culture to the computer age. The welcome given Canada's children and youth of the Arctic initiative shows that our concerns are shared and understood by the international—