Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, on behalf of the people of the Deh Cho and throughout the North, I would like to take this opportunity to wish a happy belated 100th birthday to Miss Celine Lafferty of Fort Simpson, who is known to many of us as Granny Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, Celine Lafferty was born on October 22, 1900, in Fort Providence, the daughter of Andrew and Madeline Lavallette. At the age of one, Celine's mother passed away, and her and her sister Elizabeth were both placed in the mission convent in Fort Providence.
Mr. Speaker, the mission convent in Fort Providence was her home until the age of twenty. At that time, she met and married Joseph Lafferty of Fort Providence. Celine and Joseph have had nine children, and although many of her children passed away at an early age, her descendants today include her three children, Albertine, Gabe, Germaine, many great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
Celine Lafferty certainly had to endure many hardships throughout her life, from a young child growing up in a convent to having to raise her family in the North when times were very difficult.
Fortunately, she was a very capable woman. She chopped wood, hauled water, made moccasins, parkas, and moosehair tufting. She did whatever she could to make ends meet. Through it all, she never lost her sense of humour, her love for her family, and her infectious laugh. Later in life, she developed an addiction to minor hockey.
Mr. Speaker, the community of Fort Simpson celebrated Granny Lafferty's 100th birthday with her last week. She received certificates from her Premier, Mr. Stephen Kakfwi, and Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Today, I would like to honour her for the person that she is: an accomplished artist recognized for her beautiful moosehair tuftings, a mother, a grandmother, a wife, a kind and loving person with a fierce determination to take on all of life's challenges. Mr. Speaker, I honestly believe that this woman has set a standard that all of us in the North should strive to meet. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause