Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize two people who are here in the audience who are celebrating 50 years of living and working in the North. They are very good examples of community leaders of this type. Two people who have made a great contribution to the North, Bishop John Sperry and his wife, Elizabeth.

Reverend Sperry is the former Anglican bishop of the Arctic Diocese, which covers all of what is now the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Northern Quebec. He was elected to this position in 1974 and held it until 1990 when he retired.

Bishop Sperry came from England to serve with the Anglican Mission in Coppermine, now known as Kugluktuk, in 1950. He and Elizabeth married in 1952 and raised their two children, Angela and John, in Kugluktuk, where they lived and served for 19 years. They were later posted to Fort Smith for four years.

Aside from ministering to the parishioners, John Sperry also translated the Anglican Prayer Book, the hymn book, the New Testament, Gospels and Acts into Inuinnaqtun, the language of the Kitikmeot Inuit.

He and Elizabeth also served with many volunteer organizations and provided medical help in the early days when the Inuit were devastated by epidemics like influenza and tuberculosis, to which they had no immunity at the time. There were no medical facilities in the North to treat them.

When doctors did come to see the people, John, who became fluent in Inuinnaqtun, often acted as their interpreter.

I feel privileged to join you today in expressing my heartfelt appreciation for all that they have done. People of such integrity, dedication and devotion do not appear every day. We are all very fortunate that the Sperrys have chosen to serve our jurisdiction. It is well known that we are lucky here in the Northwest Territories, because we are blessed with such fine community leaders, people who devote their lives to helping others.

I would like to acknowledge their presence in the gallery today, along with their daughter Angela and son-in-law Doug Friesen, and their granddaughter, Katherine. Welcome. Thank you.

-- Applause