Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To the greatest extent possible, families deserve equal and shared parenting rights after divorce and family arrangements that do not create undue trauma or hardship. Ultimately it’s the children who suffer most from a broken home, court battles, and bitterness surrounding separation and divorce. There’s a well-known adage that a father is a boy’s first hero and the first man a girl loves. Fathers are prime components in a family’s life. We must remember that a parent’s attitude and behaviour are the greatest influence in children’s lives.
Today I’d like to draw your attention to a new organization in the Northwest Territories. The Dads North Association was formed in December 2008 to empower individuals to establish and maintain healthy domestic lifestyles by providing guidance and understanding in a safe, unprejudiced
environment to help people who are experiencing emotional trauma and financial hardship following divorce. Although mainly focused toward men, the association is not biased against women, but, rather, seeks to promote true equality in society.
One of the functions of the Dads North Association is to fill the gap left by the Dads after Divorce and Separation Program, now that it is no longer offered in the community-at-large. The Dads Program addresses problem solving, family relationships, lifestyle balance, and emotional issues; areas which are key to fostering positive home lives and health.
The Dads North Association meets once a week at the John Howard Society. It presently receives no funding apart from donations made by its members. The Dads North Association vision is to realize a preferred future for all children and adults identified by what gives us long-term fulfillment.
Raising a family is a long-term investment. Healthy families are at the core of a healthy society and positive relationships are well worth the effort. The Dads North Association is a new organization that addresses the old and all-too-familiar problem. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud their effort and the contribution that the association wants to make to the Northwest Territories.