Members' statements. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week we had as an Assembly an opportunity to debate several areas around education. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak today about a very good story on education. Ms. Elizabeth Tumblin, from Iqaluit, who is a teacher at Joamie School, in Iqaluit has been selected as a 1997 recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence. The program honours the contribution of outstanding educators who have set their students on a path of life-long learning and have equipped them with the knowledge, attitudes and abilities they will need to succeed in tomorrow's society and economy. Mr. Speaker, through Ms. Tumblin's dedication and skill, she has opened the doors for these young people to exciting studies and careers. Ms. Tumblin was chosen from among almost 300 nominees across Canada. Elizabeth was recognized for her work over the past four years using a csile/knowledge forum for computers. This area of innovative instructions supports the learning environment as the basis for creating culturally relevant classrooms which encourage students to become part of a community of learners. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Elizabeth on her recognition by the Prime Minister and to extend our warmest regards from the people of Iqaluit and this House, for another example of the quality and dedication of our educators in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Members' statements. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Roland.

Members' statements. Mr. Ootes.

Thank you. Members' statements. Mr. Erasmus.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about an organization that continually amazes me with its ability to provide services to the women in Yellowknife. I am speaking about the Yellowknife Women's Centre. Mr. Speaker, over the past eight years, the Yellowknife Women's Centre has established itself as an outreach crisis service centre for women and their families. The services provided by the Women's Centre addresses the most basic needs of marginalized women and their families. I am talking about food, clothing and shelter in addition to supportive programming and counselling, parenting, pre-natal and post-natal outreach and family support. Women access the centre for programming that simply does not exist elsewhere in the community, including from the government. The centre is faced with responding to needs and demands of services and referrals from government and non-government agencies in Yellowknife and the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, in 1997-98, the Yellowknife Women's Centre served 375 client families. Those are families, not individual people, at its emergency and crisis location on 47th Street which represented an 87 percent increase over 1996. In other words, the people that they provided services to increased almost double and the majority of those clients are aboriginal people and approximately one-third to one-half of them are from other communities in the Northwest Territories. In this way, the centre is unique because it offers services to people from outside of Yellowknife. It often finds women on its doorstep who have moved to Yellowknife because there are more services here in Yellowknife for their children, they want to get away from an abusive situation or the woman simply has had a baby here and refuses to go home. Unfortunately, while the centre is responding to territorial needs, it only receives funding as a local centre. Mr. Speaker, territorial women's groups receive funding in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, while the centre only receives $30,000 in core funding. Clearly, such limited funding hardly covers even a partial salary for the executive director, not to mention operating expenses. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

The Member for Yellowknife North is seeking unanimous consent to conclude his statement. Do we have any nays? Mr. Erasmus, you have unanimous consent.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated, having the government refer clients to the Women's Centre for assistance is a double standard in the fact that they are not providing them with sufficient core funding while other women's groups are doing a territorial service and they receive funding several times more than the Women's Centre. The relationship between a government referral and the capacity of non-government organizations to provide services needs to be examined and appropriately funded. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Thank you, Mr. Erasmus. Members' statements. Mr. Rabesca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently on May 12, 1998, our community lost a well-respected and loved role model and a good friend. Mary Adele Bishop was the wife of Charlie Bishop and the mother of six children as well as grandchildren. Mary Adele was born in Wha Ti on April 10, 1945 to Jonas and Bella Jeremick'a and was married to Charlie on December 26, 1966. At the age of 18 her mother passed away and her father was in Charles Camsell. Mary Adele took the responsibility for and raised her brothers and sisters. Marie Adele was a special person, always full of life and laughter. On the wall in her house her children gave her a plaque for all to see, saying the Greatest Mom Award. Mary Adele was a loving and kind woman. She was like a mother to those who needed comfort and advice. She was always there when she was needed. She always encouraged people to work well together, not to gossip, but to forgive each other.

Since the mid-1970s, Mary Adele has worked as a community health representative for Rae-Edzo. The staff depended on her like an elder. She always knew the right thing to say to people whether they were young or old. With her experience as a mother, she was well able to give good advice to the young women. Her humour, sensitivity toward people and her language and cultural skills helped to ease the pain of many people. She was also interested in the youth and their education. She was elected to a local education society. It gave her another avenue to voice her concerns about culture, language and education for the youth. One of her last messages was not to judge or criticize, but to keep an open mind and an open door to love one another. Marie Adele will be sorrowfully missed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. Members' statements. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the Mayor of Arviat, Peter Kritaqliluk and also the SAO, Darren Flynn, who are here in the gallery.

--Applause

Thank you. Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Picco.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome in the gallery today Eliza Kingdon, one of my Iqaluit constituency assistants, who is here with the Iqaluit Pages. With Eliza, sitting next to her, is her husband, Allan, who is an award winning NTCP lineman. Allan is on his way to Hay River to defend his title at the Second Annual Pole-Top Lineman Rescue Competition. Allan is the oldest man competing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Enuaraq.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize my wife, Elisapee and also my daughter, Janet. Thank you.

--Applause

Welcome to the Assembly. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Morin.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize Grand Chief of Treaty 8, Felix Lockhart, also the Chief of Dettah, Jonas Sangris.

--Applause

Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Barnabas.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my wife, Susanna Barnabas, and Moses Oyukuluk, Mayor of Arctic Bay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause