Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the early morning hours of January 9th, the Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson was destroyed by fire. The Fort McPherson RCMP and volunteer firefighters were called to the scene immediately but could do little to stop the blaze. Apart from being the community's only school, this building also housed the museum. It had a number of Dene artifacts, some dating back to the 1800s. The total loss has been estimated at between $7 million and $8 million.

Since the time of the blaze, the community of Fort McPherson has rallied amongst themselves. Various community buildings now double as classrooms; such as, the hamlet office, band council, Gwich'in tribal office, the youth hall and the church. The school housed approximately 240 students of which, 220 students are presently attending school in Fort McPherson and 20 of the students are presently attending school in Inuvik.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the communities across the Northwest Territories and southern Canada that have offered their assistance. And I would like to congratulate the residents of Fort McPherson for their ability to mobilize during a time of crisis.

Although the community and the school system have done an excellent job dealing with this crisis, I'm sure the Minster and Members of the House are as eager as I am to see a new facility up and running as soon as possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.