Madam Chair, NRCan has made great strides in the north through work with leading edge science to help Canada exercise our Arctic sovereignty, protect the north's environmental heritage and promote social and economic development.
Through NRCan, we have invested $100 million in the geo-mapping for energy and minerals program, or GEM, to better understand the potential for new energy and mineral deposits in the north. Northerners can expect to see the benefits of more economic opportunities and jobs as industry works to explore and develop oil, gas and mineral deposits. A key activity of the GEM program is collecting new field data and introducing innovative concepts that help improve our understanding of the resource potential.
As well, budget 2010 provided $80 million to create the Canadian high Arctic research station. NRCan has provided significant technical advice on the science and technology goals, location analysis and logistical requirements, and $85 million has been provided to maintain and upgrade key Arctic research facilities.
NRCan's polar continental shelf program will use $11 million to better support more than 1,000 researchers from Canada and around the world. This funding will significantly boost the capacity of the polar continental shelf program in Resolute Bay and facilities to support field research throughout Canada's Arctic.