Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like today to talk about a unique residence in the Frame Lake riding. Aurora Oxford House Foundation is a non-profit organization providing housing and services to individuals recovering from alcohol and drugs in Yellowknife. This foundation has been in existence since 2005. It runs a house for men and just recently opened up an Oxford House for women in my riding. These houses provide an alcohol and drug-free environment for their residents. They are self-supported and self-administered. They operate on a cost recovery basis. The rent paid by the members of each house covers the cost of operating the house. Because each house is sustainable on its own, these houses generally operate without government funding.

Due to the opening of the new ladies’ Oxford House, the foundation incurred one-time start-up costs for that house, furniture, pots and pans, linens and so on. I want to express kudos and appreciation to the Department of Health and Social Services for their $15,000 contribution to the Oxford House Foundation to get the ladies’ house set up and operational.

Yellowknife now has a housing option for women with addictions, which will provide previously non-existent opportunities for them and help them change and make positive choices to improve their lives.

At the Aurora Oxford House Foundation, the success is due to two things. Firstly, their three charter principles which are: (1) that the house must be self-run on a democratic basis; (2) that the house must be financially self-supported; and (3)

that any resident who drinks alcohol or uses drugs must be immediately expelled. Secondly, the success is due to the hard work and dedication of the foundation’s executive director, Mr. Byrne Richards. Thank you, Byrne, for the Oxford House Foundation and the option it provides to NWT residents. I anticipate that we will hear of the opening of more Oxford Houses in the near future. Job well done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.