Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my colleague’s comments, Mr. Yakeleya. Last night I had the opportunity and the pleasure of attending the NWT Rec and Park Association awards for our elders in the Northwest Territories, the active ones. At this time I’d really like to take the opportunity to recognize two elders
who won the awards: Ms. Violet Beaulieu from Fort Resolution and Mr. Gabriel Kochon.
Violet is 80 years old and Gabriel is 84. Last night, when I got to meet them, they were full of energy and in great health.
The NWT Rec and Parks Association takes a different approach in promoting its healthy living programs. It promotes the physical, mental, social and spiritual aspects of well-being, taking a holistic approach in taking care of our elders. They know what to do with our elders and our people in the Northwest Territories. They make a focus on traditional and cultural lifestyles while introducing new and innovative exercise programs that continue to allow our elders to live a happy, fulfilled and, more importantly, an independent lifestyle.
In the budget address the other day, there was mention of chronic disease management and investing in more long-term care facilities and staff. When we ask for programs in chronic disease management to take care of our ever-growing senior population, we don’t want more facilities, we don’t want staff to take care of our elders, we want funding to go into these successful programs, effective programs that continue to keep our elders alive and well in our communities passing down our traditions, passing down our language, and for that I respect what the NWT Rec and Parks Association is doing. We’ve got to take a different approach in prevention, promotion, and we’ve got to recognize elders that are being active in the communities, and are being role models and continue the traditional culture and language of our peoples which is declining.
We’ve got to support these organizations who’ve never had an increase in funding, no forced growth, and support them so that they can get out to the communities and do stronger support for our people in the Northwest Territories and our residents.
At this time I’d like Members to join me in congratulating our two award winners, our elders, as well as congratulate the hard work that the NWT Rec and Parks Association does for the 33 communities across the Northwest Territories. Mahsi.
