Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to point out the successes and the accomplishments of the Arctic Co-operatives Limited which is a well-established organization across the Northwest Territories. First, I would like to take this time to thank the Arctic Co-operatives Limited and its affiliated companies for the assistance they gave to the community of Fort McPherson after the Co-op store was destroyed by fire. At the same time, I would like to thank the residents of Fort McPherson for all the work and effort that has been done to ensure that the Co-op continues to operate and deliver good service to the people of Fort McPherson. Mr. Speaker, the Co-op has been in existence in the Northwest Territories for some 25 years, in which the pioneers of the Co-op had a dream of eventually maintaining and running Co-op stores which are owned and operated by the shareholders and the people in the communities. Mr. Speaker, Co-ops have served the people of the north well from the days of just running the store operations to now being into the cable industry and to fuel delivery, hotels to gas stations, you name it, they have played a role in developing our communities. Mr. Speaker, the Co-op is one of the leading employers of NWT aboriginal people. Today, they employ some 700 people in the Northwest Territories. They are owned and controlled by some 14,000 dedicated people as
shareholders of this corporation.
At the same time, I would like to pay tribute to those people who have pioneered and had the vision and ambition some 25 years ago to take the step of ensuring that there will be control, ownership and dedication by the people in the communities. One of the things that the Co-operative effort is presently doing and looking at is the wholesale and marketing of crafts, cravings and other artifacts that are made in the north and produced in the north for which they have established a retail operation and wholesale marketing distribution by establishing a store in Edmonton through Northern Images to sell northern products. With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Co-op movement and the Arctic Co-operatives Limited for their efforts in ensuring that aboriginal people and the people of the north have a say in what happens in our communities. Thank you.
--Applause