Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if I was able to travel through a historical window, you will view the significant contributions that small communities have made to the Northwest Territories. A snapshot of these small communities has a rich history in itself. We will head to the south side of Great Slave Lake to Fort Resolution. Did you know that the Metis voyageur historically played an important role in the establishment of Fort Resolution? Francois Beaulieu, a Metis, accompanied Alexander Mackenzie in 1789 in the fur trade era. Fort Resolution was one of the most important medical and educational regional centres in the Northwest Territories. A large TB hospital was built in 1938, and a boarding school operated in the same era.

Now we go towards the north arm of Great Slave Lake, to Rae-Edzo. The Hudson's Bay Company post was established at Old Fort Rae in 1852. The Dogrib, which is the largest Dene community in the Northwest Territories, began to trade there with other large settlements, and at this time in history this large Dene community still continues to operate and strive.

We will now head to the south bank of the Liard River, which is Fort Liard, which was established in 1805. There is an area of Fort Liard that is one of the oldest occupied aboriginal settlements in the Northwest Territories. Aboriginal people still fish at the same place where the small knife Indian culture fished 9,000 years ago. Now we travel towards the unity of two rivers, the Mackenzie and the Liard to Fort Simpson. The Northwest Company built Fort Simpson about 1804 and still operates as the oldest trading post in the Mackenzie River. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.