Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to provide Members with an overview of the Northwest Territories Youth Development Strategy and outline some of our planned initiatives designed to help support the development of our youth.

The 16th Legislative Assembly has identified several

key priorities related to the development of youth. These include a focus on prevention by promoting healthy choices and lifestyles, the role of personal and family responsibility and the importance of working with families, communities and schools to improve the physical and mental well-being of our youth.

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs delivers a variety of programs and services that foster positive development of youth in communities. A Territory-wide Youth Development Strategy will improve our efforts by continuing successful programming and developing new tools to ensure that the priorities identified by youth, community residents and Members of the Legislative Assembly are addressed. The strategy will also ensure that existing coordination of youth programs and services will be built on and enhanced.

Mr. Speaker, some of the elements contained in the Youth Development Strategy that I wish to highlight for Members include an expanded Youth Ambassadors Program. The program offers NWT youth opportunity to receive training and volunteer experience at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and Paralympics while serving as ambassadors of the Northwest Territories.

Prior experience with the Youth Ambassadors Program at the 2007 Canada Winter Games, the 2008 Arctic Winter Games and the 2008 North American Indigenous Games has demonstrated the positive outcome experienced by youth through this experience. My colleagues may recall that at the 2008 North American Indigenous Games, our youth ambassadors received a special recognition award for their outstanding contribution to the games.

Other initiatives included in the Youth Strategic Plan include a stable source of funding for the operation and maintenance of community youth centres located across the NWT. I am also pleased to advise that MACA is providing the SideDoor Youth Centre in Yellowknife with funding assistance to support the hosting of a youth centre conference that is scheduled for later this spring. This conference will allow program delivery staff from all across the Territories the opportunity to exchange ideas and receive information from a wide range of youth service and funding organizations.

Other elements included in the Youth Development Strategy include:

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a youth program officer position in each of the northern and southern regions to provide ongoing support to community-based youth initiatives;

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the development of a youth website to serve as a one-stop shop for GNWT youth programming;

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the development of a new after-school physical activity program to engage communities and schools to encourage healthy lifestyles;

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support for a variety of youth forums including an NWT youth conference and youth role model tours to guide the development of future programming; and

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the introduction of the Next Generation

Initiative that will engage enthusiastic youth in a wide variety of initiatives with a view to recruiting them as the next generation of community development leaders.

The success of youth programming is dependent on strong partnerships between communities, local organizations, and government departments working together to identify local needs and implement viable solutions. Through the Youth Development Strategy MACA will continue to make wise investments to ensure all parties involved succeed in developing our youth.

I would like to express my thanks to all the Members for their continued support as we move forward with the Youth Development Strategy in the coming months.