Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’m sure Members and the public are ready for a good news story for a change.

Kakisa is getting a new community hall and I wanted to recognize the good work being done on this project. Community halls are important to the social fabric of the NWT. They are the scene of hundreds of local events but also serve the territory as a meeting place for visitors, presentations, consultations and regional special occasions.

The new facility replaces a much smaller community hall attached to the band office, and Kakisa simply outgrew the space. Using its MACA infrastructure contribution, the community planned a new stand-alone hall that will benefit everyone in the community.

The community has let two RFPs for the project and I am pleased that both contracts were awarded to northern companies. Community members were full participants in the design process. The project is now well underway. The foundation and floor have been laid, the walls are up, and hopefully the roof is put on before we get much more snow. The project should be complete by the end of March.

The new hall will make it possible to accommodate meetings, conferences, feasts, programs for youth and people of all ages, special events and, who knows, maybe even the Dehcho First Nations Assembly or the Dene Nation Assembly this summer. Kakisa’s community hall and nearby campground will make a unique venue for a retreat for regional or territorial organizations.

I want to recognize the community members who are leading the charge on this initiative and their efforts for taking on the project. I look forward to seeing the new facility become a well-used gathering place and a real asset to the community.

Please join me in congratulating Kakisa on the work so far. I look forward to the grand opening of the new community hall sometime next spring. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.