Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Good afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, I was to take a moment of the Legislative Assembly's time to give praise to some very important people in the northern communities. The individuals I am talking about are teachers. Teachers fill many roles. They are guidance counsellors, coaches, surrogate parents and friends to the students. This is in addition to the role they play in teaching our children. Our northern teachers continue to do their magic despite having to face cutbacks in funding to education. They have lost their vacation travel assistance and their private accommodation allowance. In some communities, reasonable housing is unavailable. In the schools, teachers have had to deal with larger classes, occasional violence and in some instances, parental harassment. Mr. Speaker, most of the teachers I know work long and hard. I wish to thank the teachers of the north for their work and dedication. Thank you.

--Applause