Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, each Member elected to this Assembly first and foremost has the particular interests of their communities and region at heart. The North is very diverse and often so are the issues of priority to our constituencies. It is important for all of us to listen, learn and understand the pan-territorial big picture and the commonality of needs related to the delivery of government programs and services. This can be accomplished, to some extent, as we listen to each other in the Assembly and in committee meetings. But it's also valuable, whenever possible, for Members and Ministers to travel in the North and see first-hand the challenges and opportunities in other regions. It may be particularly important for Ministers to familiarize themselves with our people and their issues.
To that point, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Premier for his initial visit to Hay River, accompanied by Minister Zoe, as my colleague for Hay River North and I met with the mayor and council and were briefed on issues of significance to the social and economic development of Hay River. The Premier also subsequently spoke at the annual Hay River Chamber of Commerce banquet on the topic of fueling our future.
I would also like to thank Minister McLeod for his attendance in Hay River to meet with the Hay River Seniors' Society and their support board, to hear first-hand their thoughts on how the needs of seniors, regarding housing, could be best met.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Minister Bell for his visit to Hay River, which included discussions with Patterson Enterprises regarding the sustainable harvest of timber; with representatives of the Great Slave Lake fishermen to hear the challenges that their industry is facing; and with the Territorial Farmer's Association executive to better understand their ambitions relating to the potential of agriculture in the North. He also met with two local companies, Northern Transportation and Kings Manufacturing, that are interested in pursuing opportunities to expand their capacity in the manufacturing sector.
I hope that these types of visits will continue. They are very valuable to all of us as we strive to collectively represent the interests and aspirations of all of our constituents. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause