The Yukon is on the road to a prosperous future, Premier Dennis Fentie said this morning as he invited the Canadian business community to share in the territory's opportunities.

'The Yukon is at the beginning of a long and promising new era,' he told the 35 board members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce who are in Whitehorse for one of four board meetings they have throughout the year.

Most of the two-day session, which began Wednesday, is closed to the media, with the exception of Fentie's speech this morning.

Throughout his address, Fentie spoke of the territory's prosperity and the co-operative efforts taken to continue that prosperity with neighbouring regions as well as first nations. He pointed out 11 of the 14 Yukon first nations have settled their land claims.

After his speech, board member Roger Thomas questioned how he would advise other regions to gain similar success in first nation relationships.

'I would begin by saying, Be patient,' ' Fentie replied, noting it was 30 years before some land claims were settled in the territory.

Fentie also told the board members that one of the biggest issues in the first nation relationships is the federal process.

While work on that federal process needs to be done, the premier praised the appointment of Calgary Centre MP Jim Prentice as the federal Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Throughout his presentation, Fentie pointed to projects like the Yukon Forum as a format for the territorial and first nation governments to work together on common issues in the Yukon.

Work with other jurisdictions is also important in keeping the territory prosperous, said Fentie. He pointed to projects like the Alaska/Canada rail link study (which is expected to be complete later this summer), as well as the study on port access in Skagway.

Coming up with an efficient regulatory regime that works well with places like British Columbia and Alberta and considers the environment could also impact business in the territory by making it easier for companies to invest, he said.

'It is a key transportation network,' said Fentie of the territory. He pointed out the strategic location to send goods south or potentially to the Asian market from Whitehorse to Skagway and then on to Asia.

The co-operative effort is also extending throughout the North, Fentie noted, pointing to the Pan Northern approach of the 2007 Canada Winter Games next February.

While Whitehorse is the official host city in what is the 40th anniversary of the Games (and the first Canada Games to be hosted North of 60), Nunavut and the Northwest Territories have joined the Yukon to make it a pan-northern event, said Fentie.

The major marketing campaign of the Games will catapult the Yukon and the North further on the national stage, he said.

He also recalled the impact the three northern premiers' stand over per capita funding taking centre stage a few years ago.

Even in the wireless world, the Yukon is also moving forward with most communities now connected to high-speed Internet, the premier suggested.

Cell phone service is also rolling out to 17 communities, he noted.

His presentation left delegates with questions about the impact national issues like global warming, border crossing regulations and the labour force are having on the territory.

The government, he said, is looking at ways to deal with adapting and mitigating issues around global warming, a situation that is here to stay. As in the rest of the country, the territory is working at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

An argument could be made, said Fentie, that the spruce bark beetle issue in the southwest Yukon is a result of global warming.

To a question from Robert Weese, Fentie replied there is also the potential for a positive impact for transportation as the Northwest Passage opens up as a possible summer shipping lane.

'On the lighter side, open the window and there's a positive impact of global warming,' Fentie commented.

Like all regions bordering the United States, the planned required use of passports into the U.S. will no doubt impact the territory, which has always enjoyed a good relationship with the neighbouring state, he said.

Continuing in that cooperative effort, Fentie noted a letter was sent on behalf of the Yukon, Alberta, B.C. and State of Alaska encouraging the U.S. government to reconsider the requirement.

'At the end of the day, we're going to have to deal with what comes forward,' said Fentie.

Similarly, another issue affecting the entire country, including the Yukon, is the need for more of a labour force.

While the Yukon is investing in training tradespeople, there also needs to be a national strategy in action to deal with the issues facing the country and that need, said Fentie.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce meeting was to wrap up later today.