Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I note we failed to mark the passage of your birthday last week, Mr. Speaker. Of a similar vintage to yourself, Mr. Speaker, is an institution in this city called the Yellowknife guild of crafts. It was founded in 1946. Ruth Stanton was the first president. The first secretary was Mrs. Anderson-Thomson. The guild, in those days, was established because people were very interested in doing creative things with their hands in a place which, at that time, was very isolated. People lived under conditions which were much different than what they are today. Some people may be amused by the idea of people sitting down doing handicrafts for long hours on those winter nights. However, one of the things which happened with that guild, Mr. Speaker, which many people do not know of, is that Dr. Stanton on all of his travels throughout the Mackenzie Valley and up to the Delta, was instrumental in bringing the art work of many aboriginal
people to the attention of Yellowknife and the rest of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, this has been of interest to me. This is still something which is seen as elitist, something that is somehow irrelevant to the Northwest Territories because it serves only the interests of urban people who are bored and have nothing to do. Many of us do not see it that way. We have seen all kinds of very interesting things done there and I will be tabling a letter from that guild as they are very concerned about the future of this institution which has been around, Mr. Speaker, for about the same length of time as you have.