Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this past week, we were all saddened to hear of the accidental death of a respected elder and experienced hunter in the Kitikmeot, one of Mr. Ng's constituents, after his snow machine went through the ice on a fishing trip.
Last year in early winter, we here in Yellowknife, too, lost two young people to a similar type of accident on Yellowknife Bay when the snowmobile and toboggan that they were using to cross the lake fell through thin ice. It was only about half a mile or three-quarters of a mile from their homes in Dettah. A couple of winters ago, you will recall, sadly, that two experienced hunters from Lutsel K'e perished on the natural lake when their snow machine went through thin ice as well.
Each year in winter many sport hunters, fishermen and snowmobilers get anxious, as winter moves south, to get out and enjoy the beautiful winters that we have here. And almost each year for the past decade, we've lost someone. These events have ended tragically. In most cases, these accidents happen away from where help can immediately be found. Hypothermia is usually followed by drowning. If they manage to get out of the water, there is no guarantee that they're going to be safe because of the cold, and that can also result in death.
Some of these events can be prevented, they're not all totally accidents. If people just use caution, and certainly if they exercise patience. People must wait until the ice is formed solid enough on the lakes before they can...Certainly, on the bigger lakes where there are currents and the water stays warmer for a longer period of time because of the size, and the ice doesn't form.
I would also like to caution parents here in Yellowknife that they should explain to the children that Frame Lake, out here on our doorstep, will not be safe for quite some time, given the warm weather we've had. If you recall, the ice has formed almost solidly across the lake at least twice in the last two weeks. In a couple of day's time, the ice had gone completely and we had open water. And this is going to continue, according to the weatherman, for some period of time. So I would ask parents to make sure that their kids exercise...