Mr. Speaker, for the past year our government has been celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with the rest of Canada and the 15 other Commonwealth Realms.
We began the Jubilee year last February when Members unanimously passed a motion in this House congratulating the Queen for her years of service. Over the year, communities came together in their own celebrations of the Queen’s reign, including feasts, Diamond Jubilee teas, essay contests, hockey tournaments, garden parties and barbecues.
One of the most notable ways we have celebrated the Jubilee has been our participation in the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal program. The Diamond Jubilee Medal program was established by the Government of Canada to honour the Queen, and to recognize the service of Canadians from all walks of life and backgrounds that have made significant contributions to their communities and helped create the Canada of today. We were pleased to take part in this program along with our partners, the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, the Member of Parliament for the
Western Arctic and the Senator for the Northwest Territories.
Together we have recognized 145 Northwest Territories residents for their service to their communities and territory. People from every constituency were honoured with Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals to thank them for building a strong, sustainable future for our territory. Nominations came from the public, from Members of the Legislative Assembly and from Aboriginal governments. Our recipients join several other Northwest Territories residents who were nominated by other organizations, including the RCMP, St. John’s Ambulance, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and others.
Presentation ceremonies have been held around the territory throughout the year, often with the help and participation of Members. I would like to thank all Members of this House for participating in the program and helping to present medals in their communities. I would also like to thank our partners and Aboriginal governments for joining with us in this important initiative to recognize deserving Northerners from across the territory.
The Diamond Jubilee officially ends today. On behalf of Members of the Assembly, I would like to extend our congratulations to all recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and offer our best wishes to Her Majesty once again. We will be holding the final Yellowknife medal presentation ceremony in the Great Hall this afternoon and I invite all Members to join us as we celebrate the end of the Diamond Jubilee. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.