Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was with a sense of regret and surprise, Mr. Speaker, that Yellowknifers heard this morning that the Caribou Carnival won't happen this year. There have been hundreds of volunteers over the years who have put thousands of hours into making this truly unique northern event happen. We've watched the event flow from good years to bad, from stone to flood, from one quirky controversy to another, but this year it seems it was the final straw as the support the volunteers needed to build a strong committee, raise the money and carry through failed to materialize. This is not a time to point fingers. Indeed, it is the time to salute those who came forward this year and did their best to carry off the carnival. I also salute them, Mr. Speaker, for making a brave decision to cut the event loose and declare it lost for this year. They have accepted the reality that I believe, will result in this community taking a good long look at what we really value, what our identity is and what we do to celebrate it. I'm confident that what comes out of this will be the renewal of the NWT's biggest winter festival into something that reflects a new Yellowknife, new NWT or hopefully we will keep the values and traditions that we call ours. One of the values that have to change, Mr. Speaker, is how this community supports its volunteers. In the early 90's, I was carnival president for three years and I know what it is like to scramble together an event that takes months to organize, upwards of $200,000 dollars to stage with a skeleton crew and a cap in hand approach to generating support and finding people ready to roll up their sleeves. I also note the personal satisfaction, Mr. Speaker, that comes in seeing something that really works well and seeing smiles on faces and the relief we all got by having some fun after a long cold winter. With the weather we are getting these days, we are really going to miss it this year. I believe the business community, this city of Yellowknife and this government should all rethink the value of this event, the value we put in our volunteers and what this means to the pride and spirit of this community. Political and financial support are essential. Mr. Speaker, next year would have been the 50th year of this remarkable event, let's let it go. I appeal to the people of Yellowknife to resolve to start new, start fresh and create the first year of a winter festival that we can again be proud of. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause