Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to acknowledge the life and times of a former Member of this Legislature, Mr. Pete Fraser, who passed away just recently. Mr. Fraser was the honourable Member representing the constituency of Mackenzie Great Bear. To his family, Mr. Fraser was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and even great-grandfather. To his friends, he was a man of great character, a mentor, a source of inspiration and a respected elder. To the North, he was a trapper, a riverboat pilot and a builder of each and every community that he was a part of. In his many professional roles, he was a reliable administrator, a wise negotiator and an effective conciliator. To many in this Legislature, he was a visionary, a leader, a respected adversary and a colleague. He was a jigger, bridge player, country and western singer and a square dance caller. With everything he did, he was a joker.

As the MLA for Mackenzie Great Bear, Mr. Fraser represented the Sahtu, the same riding that I represent here today. Mr. Fraser had one great love outside of his family; that is he loved the North and the people and he loved working for the betterment of both. He did so with a dedication and commitment equalled only by his wit and ready humour. When Pete Fraser passed away on October 16th, he left behind a North that was a better place because of his life. We shall all hope to leave behind such a legacy. Thank you.

-- Applause