Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am very pleased today to share some very good news, that is the publication of Bishop John Sperry's book, Igloo Dwellers Were My Church. I am proud to say Bishop Sperry is one of my constituents.

In this very noteworthy book, Bishop Sperry tells the story of the life of he and his family while he was a missionary with the Inuit people in the Kitikmeot region of what is now Nunavut. He knew from a young age that he wanted to be a missionary in the Canadian Arctic. A series of coincidences, which he explains as the mysterious ways in which God moves, resulted in his coming to Coppermine, now Kuglugtuk, in 1950 as an Anglican missionary.

This is a fascinating slice of first-hand history of a unique time in the Kitikmeot. It begins when the Inuit were still living in traditional nomadic groups and continues into the time when they began living permanently in communities. To serve his parish, John Sperry first had to learn Inuktitut. He became so fluent he was able to translate the gospels and acts of the New Testament and several other documents of the Anglican faith into Inuinnaqtun.

This allowed the Kitikmeot Inuit to worship in their own language for the first time. John Sperry travelled approximately 3,000 miles a year, by dog team in winter and by boat in summer, serving his parishioners in the far-flung camps. He brought them not only the word of God, but also mail, news from other people in the region and medical and dental services.

Bishop Sperry's book is not only a record of the traditional ways of life in the Kitikmeot in the 50s and 60s, but also a personal account of a family man much admired for his sensitivity and compassion. He and his wife Elisabeth are still warmly loved by all those whom they have served. They are appreciated for their kindness and help during both good times and bad times, such as epidemics and food shortages. Mr. Speaker, I would like to publicly express my gratitude to Bishop Sperry for writing this very significant book, which preserves this unique window of time in the history of the Arctic. I urge everyone to join me in congratulating Bishop Sperry on the publication of this book. Thank you.