Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend two of my constituents and very well-known Hay Riverites and Northerners, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
-- Applause
Mr. Speaker, Red and Bertha McBryan of Hay River have been married for 60 years this weekend. It gave me great pleasure to have the opportunity to present them with a combination of plaques, certificates and flowers. Mr. Speaker, they received certificates from the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien; Governor General Adrienne Clarkson; Member of Parliament, Ethel Blondin-Andrew; as well as our Premier, Stephen Kakfwi, and myself. Red and Bertha wanted me to pass on their thanks and appreciation to our Premier for recognizing this great event.
Red and Bertha are no strangers to the North, Mr. Speaker. Red came to the North from Edmonton in 1937. He made his home in Aklavik at that time and worked in a number of jobs. He worked on the Hudson Bay supply ships, actually, in the late 30's and early 40's.
Bertha is from Bell Rock. She is the daughter of Claude Watt and Mary Deschampes, very well-known pioneers in the North, Mr. Speaker. They have raised five children, Mary, Joe, Darlene, Pauline, Ronnie, and Matthew and Michael, now deceased. All of their children still live and work in the North, Mr. Speaker, and they have an extended family that is far too numerous to mention here.
They were married in 1942 and have lived in numerous communities across the North from Great Bear Lake to Great Slave Lake. They made their home in 1950 and have lived there ever since.
In his 65 years in the North, Red has worked for the Hudson Bay Company on the supply ships and some 30 years with Highways. As foreman of Highways in 1963, Red was charged with moving 23 buffalo from Fort Smith to Fort Providence. That is the foundation of the herd that is there now. Red takes great pride in that accomplishment.
Red also developed and operates his own farm in the Northwest Territories, some 200 acres that has varied from raising cattle to crops for feed. Red also served some 48 years down in Hay River on council, both as mayor and as councillor. Red's accomplishments in Hay River are far too great to mention here, but he has done everything from flood watching to mayor.