Mission Report
TABLED DOCUMENT 144-17(4) TABLED ON OCTOBER 28, 2013 Government of Northwest Territories Mission to Kiruna, Sweden and Munich, Germany Mission Report 1. Summary The Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT) conducted fact finding a mission to Kiruna, Sweden and Munich, Germany between May 10, 2013 and May 16, 2013. The objective of the mission was to visit satellite receiving stations and space organisations in Sweden and Germany who have invested in the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility, local communities that host satellite receiving and processing facilities and related educational establishments to assess the potential benefits of an expanded ISSF as a result of the planned Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link (MVFL). Mission Participants - the mission was led by Minister Miltenberger and included representatives from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Gwich'in Tribal Council, Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated, Town of Inuvik, and in addition, the MLA for Range Lake (Yellowknife), the Deputy Minister for Finance, the Minister’s Executive Assistant, and the GNWT’s lead consultant on the MFVL project. The total cost of the Mission was $138,945. Key Findings: o The Swedish Space Corporation facility (Estrange) is located close to Kiruna. The facility consists of 26 antennas, a 24 hour satellite control and monitoring centre, research facilities for visiting scientists and a hotel. o Kiruna is location of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics, which attracts scientists from around the world to study polar atmospherics physics, solar system physics and space technology. o The long term consistency of the satellite and space based activities in Kiruna provides a stable economic base that complements the variability in the mining sector in northern Sweden.
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