Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in every community in the Northwest Territories, there are people with disabilities and special needs. The level of support they require to maintain a good quality of life varies from individual to individual. Some challenges are physical and require logistical support like barrier-free access, specialized equipment and modifications to their homes. Some challenges are intellectual and require different types of support.

Recently my colleague, Mr. Delorey, and myself met with a group of concerned citizens in Hay River who are interested in formalizing an association to support persons with disabilities in Hay River. It's hard to believe that, in this day and age of awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities, a community the size of Hay River doesn't yet have well-defined resources for persons with disabilities. Because of this, two things have occurred in the past. People either didn't get the help they needed and their circumstances would deteriorate to the point where their needs would become much more complex and more costly solutions would be required; or, people would have to relocate, often away from the support of their family and friends, to find the programs and services which would meet their specific needs.

An emerging need in Hay River is support for young adults who are typically finished their formal public education, who need some independence from living at home with their parents but aren't quite able to cope without some level of structure, mentoring and supervision. In Yellowknife, for many years there has been the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, which is an example of an organization which could

facilitate the support of such clients. Here and in many other jurisdictions in Canada, there are homes and networks of homes which are like any other home in a residential area, but the family inside, however, might consist of two or three adults with assisted-living needs and a live-in or rotating staff which provide the necessary support and companionship.

Without a formal organization or a specific program, it has been difficult for Hay River MLAs to solicit the support of government departments or agencies for resources and infrastructure needed to get something started. But getting started is exactly what we plan to do. I very much appreciate the recent visit to Hay River by representatives of the Yellowknife Association for Community Living. I also appreciate the representation of the NWT Housing Corporation, the Hay River Housing Authority, the Department of Health and Social Services, the Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre, the Department of Justice and concerned citizens who initially met to discuss this need. I understand that since then there has been another meeting.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.