Thank you, Madam Speaker. In 1987, a Member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Andrea Hansen, came north on a tour and, at that time, initiated a project called "Strings Across the Sky" with Inuvik businessman, Frank Hansen. It was a project to bring music to the children of the north by teaching the skills, and to continue the tradition of fiddling, which is very strong in the Mackenzie Delta.

This woman has since paid the north annual visits, two or three times per year, to encourage young people of the Mackenzie Delta to renew interest in the tradition of fiddling. During the first weekend of September, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of September, there was a fiddling festival organized by the performers of the Northwest Territories, under the organization of Darlene Mandeville. They organized a three-day festival with fiddling, calling dances and teaching square dancing and other dances done to a fiddle. Andrea Hansen was there and was incredibly enthusiastic. She threw some real energy into the initiative. Following that, she made a visit again to Inuvik and indicated at that time if we could find someone to help her pay for the transportation on her visit to Norman Wells she would be prepared to stop in Fort Good Hope for two days. So the Sahtu divisional board staff got organized very quickly and took the initiative to find some money for it. The result was to the benefit of everybody in Fort Good Hope who also organized to provide room and board, transportation and accommodation for these people.

I want to compliment the Sahtu divisional board for their quick action and the people of Fort Good Hope to seize this initiative. I would also like to thank the people of the Strings Across the Sky. Thank you.

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