Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. I just wanted to share something, just a quick little blurb here. Thirty-nine years ago there was a Minister of Indian Affairs who stood in front of the Standing Committee on Finance in the Government of Canada. You probably all know him. His name was Prime Minister Chrétien, and he made a statement to the Standing Committee on Finance about the Northwest Territories, saying that if there's any benefit from any of the resources that are extracted from the Northwest Territories, it should first go to benefit the residents of the Northwest Territories.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Not necessarily. We're finding out while they're going out, and they're not being awarded--both.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's not necessarily that MERX doesn't work. Most of you are aware that you have to register to be part of MERX. You pay your annual fee. But that's not the issue. The issue is that contracts over $5,000, which, according to the procurement strategy for aboriginal business in Canada....

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Our core office has about six or seven people, but we do have subsidiaries where we own a majority, such as Shehtah Nabors Drilling. We have four drilling rigs, four service rigs, and one other rig. When we're fully going we could have well over 100 to 200 employees. But as you know, the oil and gas industry has been low, so we have a couple of rigs going, and we're probably down to about 30 employees.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Right now the Internet service we do have in some communities is through satellite service, such as in Nunavut. There really are no land lines, although in southern NWT there are some fibre optic cables being laid. Yellowknife is served through fibre optic. The majority of the communities that require it don't have that type of capacity or speed that Canadians have in southern Canada, or the infrastructure required for that.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think one of the more important barriers is the support that's needed for sustainable sectors such as forestry, fishing, hunting, and trapping. I want to finish off with my solutions, and it will be very quick. Solutions: full implementation of the completed agreements; just and timely resolution of the negotiations that are in progress, more specifically approval of the Mackenzie Valley Highway; approval of the Mackenzie Valley gas project; continued support for communications and technology; development of hydro and wind power capabilities and reliable and affordable public utilities; and creation of a northern university.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I want to let you know that I have A Hand Up, Not A Handout, the document the Senate put out a couple of years ago. Looking at some of the recommendations there, I ask where they are now. But I want to go to my barriers first. A lot of this I think echoes what has been said earlier; just a few minutes ago, it was the lack of implementation of finalized agreements.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's the Denendeh Development Corporation. I believe the clerk has my business card. Actually, I gave him a Denendeh Investments business card, so we will clarify that later.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Just before I start, again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share some of the concerns and the barriers and proposed solutions for economic development here in the Northwest Territories. Denendeh Development Corporation is 100% owned by all 27 first nations communities in the NWT.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you. I am actually with the Denendeh Development Corporation, which is a group of companies. We established the Northern Aboriginal Business Association. Part of my presentation will include everything. To give you a little background, the Denendeh Development Corporation was incorporated in 1982 as a not-for-profit corporation.