Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Welcome back, my colleagues. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituency, Nunakput, I wish to extend get well wishes to our Member of Parliament, the Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, and wish her a full and quick recovery. I look forward to seeing her again in the communities of Nunakput. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Steen. The House shares with you the concerns for her quick recovery. Item 5, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to make some comments today about special constituents, if you want to call them that, Neil and Ellen Wilson, from Alviston, Ontario, who are my in-laws. They have been visiting the Northwest Territories since the late 1970s and I wanted to make some special mentions.

I know that when my first daughter was born in 1981, Ellen Wilson came all the way to Fort Good Hope just to check out the community and the living quarters. We lived in a log house at the time with two wood stoves and a water barrel by the back door. We had not built our outhouse yet, but we were working on the plans.

So as you can appreciate, it tested my in-laws tremendously to think that their daughter was going to be doing okay with this man she had just married. My father-in-law visited there and went moose hunting with me at 45 below. We have gone out shooting caribou and skinned them at 35 below. He has been up and down the Mackenzie River by boat, and they have visited Yellowknife a number of times over the years. Neil has gone fishing with George and Ray Tuccaro and I a number of times.

Their son, Dr. Tom Wilson, of Ontario, has also come North to visit and fish. The youngest son, Todd Wilson, was also up earlier this winter ski-dooing with me for a few days. I was not sure that they would be around for the later part of the agenda when we acknowledged visitors in the gallery, so I thought I better get up and acknowledge them. My wife, for the first time, is free to come and visit us. She is sitting in the gallery with her mother, and her father is a little higher up in the gallery. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Mr. Kakfwi. Item 5, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine.

Mahsi, Mr. Antoine. Item 5, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is our first day back, but I believe that this is the last day that Pat Thomas will be in attendance in our Chamber prior to her departure to her new home in Devon, Alberta.

Pat Thomas definitely holds the record for attendance for the most often in the Chamber as a non-elected member in the visitors' gallery. Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to recently attend a party for Pat, which was given by her teaching colleagues in Hay River. A song performed there was a takeoff of a song called, "Take a Chance on Me," and was premised on Pat's eventual return to Hay River, and applying for a job as a substitute teacher. The lyrics were modified, of course, and one of the lines was (singing): "Take a chance on me, I am friends with Steve Kakfwi."

-- Laughter

That was one of the lines. Do you guys recognize that? I was not elected for my singing ability, I admit that, all right?

Indeed, Pat was a friend...

-- Laughter

You know that Abba song. Come on, you guys, act like you know it.

-- Laughter

Indeed, Pat was a friend of this Legislature and the staff of this Legislature, which is evidenced by the fact that the two union reps are sitting with the secretary of the Financial Management Board Secretariat. This is a very good sign.

-- Laughter

She was also a very good friend to the many educators who she so professionally represented. Again, a friend to the advancement of education in the North. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that you and my colleagues will help to thank Pat Thomas for her outstanding 27 years of teaching in the Northwest Territories. We wish her well in her retirement. I am going to miss her here very much and if she feels compelled to return, since her friendship with the Premier is now immortalized in us all, go ahead and use his name as a reference when you reapply.

-- Applause

Item 5, Members' statements. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It may cross borders as Minister of Education, but I think it is appropriate for me, at this particular time, to pass on congratulations to all the students in the Northwest Territories at various levels of high school, college and university.

Over the past few months, I have had an opportunity to attend a number of functions, including the graduation at St. Pat's and the graduation at Sir John. I really enjoyed those functions and appreciated being there.

I also had an opportunity to visit a number of schools over the past two months. I was in Fort Smith for the opening of the Paul Kaesar School, which I particularly enjoyed, having known Paul Kaesar himself many years ago. I visited Hay River and toured the schools there, as well as Kakisa. I had the opportunity to visit Holman, of course, and Fort Resolution.

I want to also acknowledge the presence of Pat Thomas with us here, today. Personally, I think she has done one heck of a job representing the teachers and the education staff in the Northwest Territories. She is to be congratulated for that dedication. I know the letters flow constantly from her to my department, and to the previous Ministers as well. I want to congratulate Pat on her retirement, and wish her all the best. Thank you

As I said, we would push the envelope a little bit today because of all the pent up energy expressed from Members in statements. As of tomorrow, we will confine it to one subject per Member's statement. Item 5, Members' statements. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Delorey.

A built-in fan club.

-- Laughter

Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize people from the community of Aklavik who are here. Mrs. Beverly Lennie, along with her daughter Nina Lennie, and her niece from Aklavik, Joyce Store, who is going to school here.

Another person from Aklavik is the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. I just wanted to put it on the public record that the Commissioner is from Aklavik, in my riding.

I would also like to recognize Mr. Richard Lafferty. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As someone who only has a sister, and no brothers, obviously I am envious of my fellow colleague, Mr. Delorey. They look great up there.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize someone. I am not sure if he is up there, but if he is, his name is Burt Galloway, a member of the national board of the John Howard Society of Canada, who is visiting Yellowknife for a meeting. He is also the past president of the John Howard Society and a consultant for the State Legislature of Colorado. He has a keen interest in parliamentary procedure.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Mrs. Bea Campbell, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the NWT Health Care Association meeting in Hay River. From what I understand, she is a woman who does everything. I just wanted to welcome her. Thank you.

-- Applause

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Just a reminder that we must recognize someone that is actually there.

-- Laughter

However, today, in the spirit...item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Ootes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize someone who is an avid follower of our politics here in the North, and has been a resident for a number of years. He will someday likely run for office, as all of us have, for municipal or other levels. I would like to recognize a past constituent, Mr. Stuart Hogg in the gallery today.

-- Applause

Welcome. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Thebacha, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize the president of the Senior's Society, and the chairman of the Fort Smith board of management for the health board, Ms. Bea Campbell. Thank you.

-- Applause

Welcome, Ms. Campbell. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.

Thank you, Mr. Nitah. Indeed, they are welcome, those who are viewing us from outside of Yellowknife. Item 6, recognition of visitors in the gallery. The honourable Member for the Sahtu, Mr. Kakfwi.