Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of participating in the appointment of 16 RCMP auxiliary members as police officers. I would like to take the opportunity to recognize the significance of that event. This program is the first for the Northwest Territories. It allows citizens to take an active part in the policing of their community and is a major step towards the enhancement of RCMP resources. The RCMP auxiliary policing program would not have been possible without the initiative and efforts of the RCMP members of "G" Division, who worked so hard to make this program concept a reality. I congratulate those members responsible for the development of this program.
Mr. Speaker, this is an important program and is totally dependent upon the participation of volunteers. The volunteer is a special individual. These persons put others ahead of themselves and are willing to give something back to the communities in which they live. In this instance, they have dedicated many hours of personal time to this program, over and above the basic training requirements, and will continue to receive training on an ongoing basis. They have participated in a number of community events such as the 1996 air show and zero tolerance policing activities.
Their presence has been noted and well-accepted by the public. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to mention the new auxiliary members: Paul Mounsey; Mike Bourque; Linda Thiel; Mitch Siemens; Emmett Crossman; Melanie Lacroix; Ron Nickle; Ross Jan; Jeff Steinwand; Steven Pagotto; Michael Dunsmore; Jim Peterson; Allison Gloeden; Gerta Groothuizen; Lorraine Conway; and, Francis Jackson. I would like to thank them for volunteering for this program and to wish each of them luck with this very worthwhile endeavour. I am confident that the RCMP auxiliary policing program will be a successful one and that these individuals will prove to be an example for others to follow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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