Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to Kole Crook who, as I am sure everyone knows, passed away on New Year's Eve. He was 27 years old. Kole was an extraordinary young man. This was so evident, as literally hundreds of people from many communities and all walks of life gathered on the Hay River Reserve to pay respect to his memory.
To say that Kole loved music does not adequately describe what he conveyed and how he made people feel when he entertained and performed for groups large or small. He communicated through his music.
He was an avid outdoorsman. The first thought I had when I heard that a small plane had gone missing with a pilot and three passengers, and Kole was one of them, was that if they survived the impact, Kole would be able to take care of them.
Kole was not attracted nor motivated by the comforts or convenience of modern living. He had a deep understanding of spiritual things and I believe that is what gave him the perspective of someone who seemed to have lived much longer than 27 years.
Kole truly had his priorities figured out. His life was a demonstration of his respect for his creator, his genuine love of people, his remarkable knowledge and reverence for the land, and his fun-loving sharing of his God-given talents, which included music and story-telling.
Kole will always be missed by his family and those closest to him, and to them we continue to offer our sincerest condolences. We thank them for sharing him with so many people. I believe there has never been a funeral which brought so many people together from so many places in the history of our Territory. Hopefully, this demonstration of how many lives Kole touched will sustain and comfort his family in the years ahead. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause