Finance committee  I think it's all about the outreach component of our program. We will definitely have education programs that will talk about the Arctic and raise the issue of the Arctic, but those programs will not only be delivered in Calgary. They will be available for all of the institution members of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which reach 11 million visitors per year.

Finance committee  My point is, this is definitely not something that is specific to Alberta; it's not specific to Calgary. It's a lot of benefit for Canada. This is what our project is.

Finance committee  I think the magnitude of this project might be too big for that program; I'm not sure. I think we fit in the infrastructure program. The way it has been written, it's to support heritage, cultural institutions, and sports facilities, and if you go to Statistics Canada or Heritage Canada or to many other websites of the Canadian government, you will see that zoos are recognized as heritage institutions.

Finance committee  We are in discussion with the federal government in this regard.

Finance committee  No, we have been in touch with Infrastructure and....

Finance committee  The province gave us $35 million, and it's in trust in our name.

Finance committee  Yes. I think in early 2000 there was a project called Destination Africa. There was a contribution at that time. I think the project was supported by the federal government. Now we're asking for one-fourth of the total project. The contribution from the private sector is catching the 25%.

Finance committee  We received $30 million from the city and $35 million from the province. We already have $11.4 million from the private sector. We are in serious discussions with two companies to get $15 million. We are asking the federal government to match the province's contribution of $35 million.

Finance committee  Good morning. I want to start by thanking you for this opportunity to speak to you and by welcoming you to Calgary. The first temptation, when looking at the Canadian tax system, is to debate how the government should collect taxes or how much every individual or business should contribute to the system.