Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On a lighter note, until we get to discussion period, I would like to speak about two boys who are here with us for the rest of this week. They are Ben Hannak and Jason Curley, who are beside the Sergeant-at-Arms. These boys are both from the grade 12 classes of Qitiqliq school in Arviat. Jason, who is the president of the students council and Ben, who is president of the sports council. Both gentlemen were in Yellowknife last year to participate in the territorial debate workshops. Both are student participants/observers on the Arviat Hamlet Council. In other words, they both have an interest in serving their community in
a leadership capacity. Both have been active volunteers with the Minor Hockey Association for Sivullinut, the elders group in Arviat, and for Sapuniaqtiit, the alcohol and drug prevention program.
Ben also serves on the Youth Justice Committee and last summer he was chosen from the Keewatin to take the Department of Personnel's Human Resource Management Training Program here in Yellowknife. He has participated in leadership conferences both in Fort Smith and in Brandon, Manitoba at the annual Canadian leadership conference. Ben also participated in an environmental exchange which took him to Vancouver, B.C. in September. He has not decided on his career plans as yet, he is considering several possibilities for a post-secondary education.
Jason has also had a taste of Vancouver when he represented the N.W.T. at the Canada-wide science fair with his project on the insulating factors of igloos and at the environmental exchange in September. Last summer, Jason attended a D.P.W. course on architecture and engineering in Yellowknife. He is pursuing a career in engineering and would like to return to U.B.C. next year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.