Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today’s youth face difficult choices, enormous peer pressure and more readily available and potential mind-altering drugs than any other time in history.

I’m very proud to say that in my previous careers that I’ve had, I had the opportunity to work with a group called the Odd Squad. The Odd Squad is a group out of Vancouver who does a lot of trips throughout the Northwest Territories and to other Aboriginal communities across Canada to educate the public about devastating effects of high risk behaviour and the impact it has on members of our communities.

This is a group that’s out of Vancouver and may partner here with the Tree of Peace and other organizations, in some cases oil companies and diamond mines, to educate the youth about the drugs coming up to the Northwest Territories. Some Members here might be familiar with some of the

work and productions they’ve done such as the video called Through a Blue Lens, as well as Tears for April and more up to date is a TV show called The Beat, where they walk the streets of Vancouver and they educate people about drugs and introduce you to people who have had a hard time battling their addictions.

Today we still continue to see that problem in the Northwest Territories of all these mind-altering and very potent drugs that take people’s lives, that ruin families and ruin communities.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Odd Squad for the hard work and effort they do coming to the Northwest Territories and educating our youth, educating our people and, more importantly, educating our leaders that we need to support all these educational components to stop these kinds of addictions happening in our communities.

I’d just like to thank the Odd Squad and all their partners for helping educate, stop crime, as well as help people not partake in drug use in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.