The Yukon isn't pursuing economic growth for the sake of growth alone, Premier Darrell Pasloski told delegates at a major economic conference this morning in Whitehorse.

"Growth is not an end, but it's a means to achieving a bigger goal, a goal of taking responsibility for ourselves and contributing to the prosperity of the entire nation,” he said during his opening remarks at the Conference Board of Canada's North Summit.

"We've spent most of the past 10 years looking inward with the view of building a sustainable future for all Yukoners. Now that our house is largely in order, it's time to cast our eye outward and ask what can we do for Canada.”

The conference began Tuesday evening with a welcoming reception at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre.

The premier opened the main planning and conference sessions this morning at the Coast High Country Inn and Yukon Convention Centre. The conference continues through to tomorrow afternoon.

Pasloski stuck to his party's usual refrain touting resource development as the key to continued prosperity in the territory. However, he qualified his remarks by underlining the need to balance extractive industries with environmental sustainability.

"We have a tremendous opportunity, but we remain mindful that with this opportunity comes a responsibility to mitigate the negative effects of these developments on our environment,” he said.

"Yukoners understand the balance between economic development and environmental protection.”

Pasloski said the territory is on that path to sustainable development. The premier took the opportunity to discuss the Yukon's unique environmental and socio-economic assessment process.

Circling back to his government's goals for the territory, he conjured the image of a thriving economy immune to fluctuations in the global market.

He spoke of a territory where Yukoners enjoy the beauty of the land and, thanks to a strong economy, easy access to first-class health care, education, social assistance, and a vibrant arts and culture scene.

"The only way to overcome capacity challenges that come from the reality of a small population dispersed over a very large land mass is to continue growing our communities and we are positioned for success in that regard,” the premier said in conclusion.

"But we will not achieve it alone. It's imperative that we continue to collaborate with governments, organizations, businesses, and research institutions to find innovative solutions to the North's particular challenges.”

Building resilience in northern countries will be a key theme over the course of this year's conference.

Innovation is imperative to the development of resilience, as Daniel Muzyka, the president and CEO of the Conference Board, noted during his opening remarks.

"I want to make the link here between innovation and resiliency because resiliency is a necessary precondition for thriving and prosperous communities,” he said.

"Resilience means preserving and maintaining vibrant traditions and communities, but also involves adaptation and recognition of the challenges based in the areas of poverty, health, education, addiction and governance. Resilience is innovation in action.”

Canada only manages a D in innovation, leaving plenty of room for improvement, Muzyka noted.

"Canada's North is rife with economic opportunities based in innovative practices. I believe that the route to a better quality of life for those living in the North lies in having to take advantage of these opportunities,” he said.

Following the opening remarks, the conference launched into its first plenary session focused on building resilient, sustainable northern communities.

Later in the morning, a series of sessions looking at the role of traditional knowledge in a modernizing North, health and housing, sustainability, and education, were scheduled to run concurrently.

Other topics set to be discussed over the two-day event, which has drawn several hundred people, include translating economic growth into local prosperity, resource development, land claims and land use planning, and building a skilled northern workforce for the mining industry.

See related story.