Geoscience 2013

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Liberal caucus to pay tribute to the 41st annual Geoscience Forum and trade show.

Mining has come a long way from the Klondike Gold Rush. Mining has been the lifeblood of Yukon for over 100 years and it’s still with us today. Local companies have spearheaded a recent exploration boom, which is considered to be the largest geochemistry experiment in North American history, mostly due to local crews, such as the Ground Truth crew in Klondike. After exploration, these prospectors have reached out to junior companies to use their expertise on the ground in different capacities — new technologies, like GPS and mapping software, for example. Using these new, modern techniques, mining and exploration have continued to develop and adapt.

The Yukon Geoscience Forum and trade show is a great time for the mining industry to gather and showcase their developments in mining and exploration and to come forward with their counterparts and companies to share knowledge and new techniques. It is also time for the industry to come forward and to talk about the concerns from an investment perspective. For mining companies to continue to invest in the Yukon, we must be able to offer regulatory certainty, road accessibility and sufficient power. We must also offer skilled labour within the territory, so Yukon benefits from job creation in the mining industry.

I would like to congratulate and thank members of the mining community for responsible mining and exploration. I would like to congratulate the Yukon Chamber of Mines for all their hard work and commitment. (I hope to see my colleagues join me and the mining community at the Yukon Women in Mining reception at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre tonight.)