Hon. David Newman (Minister of Energy and Mines): Madam Speaker, I have a statement in my capacity as Minister of Energy and Mines.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to acknowledge and celebrate--
Madam Speaker: Would the honourable minister please wait for the distribution of the statement?
Mr. Newman: Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to acknowledge and celebrate National Mining Week. Mining is a billion-dollar industry in Manitoba and is second only to agriculture in terms of economic benefits. National Mining Week brings with it formal recognition of the strong heritage and tradition that mining holds in the history and development of our province. It is interesting to note that the first Department of Mines and Natural Resources was established in Manitoba in 1928. This year marks the Mines Branch's 70th anniversary. Looking again at the history of mining in our province, hematite or red iron ore mining was first documented by Louis LaVerendrye in 1739 at Red Rock for use as a natural pigment by First Nations.
Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company Limited set up in Flin Flon in 1927 was one of North America's largest copper-zinc deposit finds for the first half of the 20th Century. In 1956, a major nickel deposit was discovered by the International Nickel Company of Canada Ltd., Inco, at Thompson. This find, as well as many others, occurred in areas traditionally occupied by aboriginal peoples and has led to the establishment of major centres of industry and commerce such as Thompson.
The mining industry has and continues to shape our north. The partnership with aboriginal peoples will determine, in a large part, the future development of sustainable and healthy communities in the North. While the industry has experienced difficulty recently due to volatile market conditions, we continue to actively encourage mining investment and exploration in our province. We provide high-quality service and act in partnership with the mining industry to face the challenges together.
The mining industry is very important to Manitoba. I would like to take this opportunity to invite all members of the House to join the mining industry in the Meet the Miners 1998 celebration on Thursday night of this week. I welcome you to come and share the importance of mining with our many industry, government and service associates. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
Ms. MaryAnn Mihychuk (St. James): Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join the minister in recognizing National Mining Week, and indeed, it is a particularly significant industry in Manitoba. It has provided the base and the roots for northern development in many circumstances, but we are facing tough times in the short term right now.
Over the last 10 years of this government's government, we have seen unfortunately the loss of over a thousand jobs in the mining industry in the North. Not only have we lost a thousand jobs overall, we see unemployment numbers in the North of over 25 percent. At the same time, we see the closure of the Bissett mine in December, potentially the closure at Leaf Rapids. Lynn Lake has lost over 25 percent, I understand, of its population.
Madam Speaker, this government's record in terms of encouraging the construction and development of mining, new mines creating jobs in Manitoba, needs significant improvement. Manitoba has a wealth of resources that are available for development, and I would suggest that this government needs to put its priorities where its words are and put full-time effort into directing and leading Manitoba mining so that we can renew and rebuild Manitoba mining in our province.