Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last year was the first year of operation for the Tl'oondih Healing Camp, which is operated by the Tl'oondih Healing Society, which is a registered, credible organization in Canada. There were 152 men, women, children and infants who participated in the program. Only four people have dropped out of the program for one reason or another, which means that 97 per cent of those people who attend the Tl'oondih program stayed to the completion of the program which is a five-week program.
However, Mr. Speaker, there were no last-minute drop-outs for the program. Everybody who said they were going to attend, attended the program and made an effort to be in McPherson and up to the camp.
As I mentioned earlier in the last couple of weeks in my statements, there is currently a waiting list of 215 men, women and children who would like to attend this unique program, which is designed and developed in the North by Northerners. Mr. Speaker, the Tl'oondih camp provides employment to 22 people in such areas as community health workers, therapists, administrators, cooks, camp maintenance people, adult councillors, youth councillors, child care workers and day care workers. The healing camp also hires people to cut wood, transport people and goods as they are needed, and the program is unique; its basic initiative is to help families. This is basically the first program in the country which has been developed by an aboriginal organization and which has been funded by the Gwich'in Tribal Council. We urge this government to seriously consider looking at this program with regard to its uniqueness.
A family who goes through this program together will save this government large amounts of money and allow people to gain pride in themselves and fit into the wage economy. With that, I will be asking the appropriate Minister a question in this matter, at the right time. Thank you.