Member for kootenai east well. Thank you, mr speaker, as our province looks to economic recovery from the covet 19 pandemic and furthering partnerships and benefits with our first nation governments. Mining can play a lead role with commodity prices, high and six mines in bc close to final permitting. We all need to do everything possible to get these projects over the finish line. These mines represent more than four billion dollars in capital spending and thousands of high paying and highly skilled jobs.

There is no project better suited than artemis, gold's black water project located southwest of prince george blackwater is an open pit, gold and silver mine that has a 23-year mine life with proven and probable reserves of 8 million ounces of gold and 62 million ounces of silver, making it one of the largest new mines in british columbia.

In decades, artist artemis expects to invest approximately 600 million in initial capital in order to commence operations along with 825 workers per year over the five years of construction, which includes the two expansion phases and 457 full-time workers during its operations to support local contracting, the blackwater project office has developed a directory of local businesses and suppliers.

The economic spin-offs to the project region is in the tens of millions per year. The project is expected to generate 73 million in municipal taxes, 2.29 billion in provincial taxes and 1.5 billion in federal taxes. The project is designed to meet high environmental standards in which include protection of water, wildlife and sensitive species. In conclusion, mr speaker bc is home to about half of canada's 31 critical minerals that will launch us to a low carbon future and secure the national security of our country and our allies.

On top of that projects like artemis, gold's blackwater project represent a clear way to a post-pandemic economic recovery. Let's all make a conscious effort to realize the potential and benefits that these mine projects represent it's time we turn the page and get these projects moving. Thank you, mr speaker,.