Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, as you all know, I enjoy visiting the people in our communities. I will use every opportunity to visit your constituencies and to accept as many invitations as possible that may be extended by the honourable Members of this House.

I was invited to Inuvik to help present long-term service awards to the staff of the Beaufort-Delta Education Council. The 17 recipients who were honoured have a total of 160 years of experience working for BDEC. I am pleased to tell you that several of the honourees were born and raised in the Beaufort-Delta. It was an honour for me to help recognize and show appreciation for the dedicated service by these 17 staff members who work so hard on behalf of their students and communities across the Beaufort-Delta.

Early last week I paid visits to the schools in Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic and met with groups of students and their teachers to talk with them about making positive, healthy and productive choices now and in the future. I hope that I reinforced the message that getting a good education is an important foundation to building their careers and making happy, healthy lives for themselves.

I also had the opportunity to visit two new facilities under construction in Inuvik, with the guidance of Public Works and Services project manager Mr. Ramesh Koirala and two site foremen.

The school complex, which will accommodate students from kindergarten to grade 12, and the new government office building and records centre are both very impressive, and residents of Inuvik and the Beaufort-Delta region will be very well served when these facilities open for business.

Due to the blizzard the week that I was in the Delta, I was unable to make a school visit to Tuktoyaktuk, but look forward to visiting the community sometime in the next year.

I must compliment the people of the Beaufort-Delta on their northern hospitality. We liked it so much we stayed an extra three days in complete isolation from all forms of long distance communication due to the biggest blizzard in many years. I would like to thank Peter Clarkson and RCMP Staff Sergeant Wayne Norris for offering the use of their satellite phones.

Over the next few months I am looking forward to attending several high school graduations across the NWT.

Like most residents of the Northwest Territories, I am eagerly awaiting the visit in July by Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton. As Northerners, we are honoured that they have chosen our Territory as one of the places they will visit when they come to Canada so soon after their marriage. The royal tour will be an opportunity for us to share our renowned northern hospitality and to showcase the beauty of our lands and waterways.

As Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, I now declare open the Sixth Session of the 16

th

Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, merci beaucoup, quanami, mahsi cho.

Speaker’s Opening Remarks