Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over 100 years ago, Aboriginal children in Canada were sent to Indian residential schools funded by the federal government and run by Christian churches. Children were stripped of their language and cultural identity. Many were abused and neglected. Traditional practices that once bonded families together were damaged.

Canada’s attempt to wipe out the Aboriginal cultures failed, yet we’re still reeling from the effects. There’s an urgent need for reconciliation for the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. May 26th is the National Day of Reconciliation and Healing declared by our government, so it’s a good time to talk about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or the TRC as it’s commonly known.

The TRC emerged out of a $5 billion settlement in 2007 between the federal government, Canadian churches and the Aboriginal people. Through the TRC independent assessment process, nearly

40,000 claims have been made. Over four million government and church documents have been collected. The testimony and the evidence has been described as devastating, incredible, beyond belief and out of this world.

In March 2014 I was fortunate enough to attend the TRC national event in Edmonton. Thousands of survivors, including myself, gave witness statements. Dozens of church representatives were also on hand to offer personal apologies.

During the event, the Alberta Aboriginal Relations Minister announced that K to 12 curriculum will include contents on the history of the residential schools.

In a similar move, the mayor of Edmonton unveiled plans to educate all city municipal workers. Edmonton has one of the largest urban populations in the country. The goal is to provide services in a more sensitive and compassionate manner

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has shed light on the shameful past as part of our past. It has accomplished a great deal. Now we need to keep the momentum going. One way to do this is to recognize how the legacy of residential schools affects Aboriginal families today. Thousands of NWT residents are dealing with this legacy. It is called intergenerational trauma. This trauma is one of the root causes of child maltreatment. It also contributes to alcohol and drug abuse, mental health issues, domestic violence and poverty.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

---Unanimous consent granted

In fact, in a recent report in the House, the Auditor General said that child and family services are failing Aboriginal families in the Northwest Territories, so the government has a major task ahead to change the welfare system.

During oral questions I will have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Summer has begun and the ferries across the NWT are starting their engines. At a constituency meeting in Fort Simpson last fall, the people in my riding raised the possibility of running the daily ferry at the Liard crossing from 7 a.m. until midnight. It currently runs from 8 a.m. until midnight, and people are often in a rush to attend business in Hay River or Yellowknife or make other travel connections. This spring I had initial discussions with the Department of Transportation to propose operating the ferry between the hours of

7 a.m. and 11 p.m. They suggested there would be no added cost, but to constituents there is a lost benefit if we travel to Hay River for an early appointment but still have to rush to make it back for an 11 p.m. closing.

I recently took it upon myself to survey the community on this issue. The majority of the people I spoke with prefer a 7 a.m. start. There were several that wanted a 6 a.m. start, but the consensus among residents and businesses is to keep the ferry open until midnight and not close an hour earlier. I support serious consideration of a 7 a.m. until 12 a.m. operating hours. Over the last two years I have seen increased demand for the ferry services, especially at the earlier hour.

The potential operation of the Prairie Creek Mine will bring more travel between Fort Simpson and other regional centres. The government is also trying to promote tourism and road travel throughout the Northwest Territories. These economic reasons alone support extending ferry operations by just one hour. Residents of Fort Liard will also benefit when travelling down Highway No. 7. They can arrive in Fort Simpson sooner and/or business travellers can depart down Highway No. 7 by 7 a.m.

I am sure Members of this House are familiar with the frustration road travellers experience and sometimes bring to MLAs when they miss the ferry crossing and have to sleep in their vehicles, or their travel plans are upset by inconvenient operating hours.

We can improve things by running the ferry on a more convenient timetable, and also extending the Lafferty ferry service by one hour is a reasonable request. It’s a small thing that can make a big difference.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to address Junior Kindergarten that the Minister has approved for our school in the fall.

The Minister has approved this with no further funding and lack of adequate space for the new program. How does the Minister expect to have our teachers instruct the students and teach them in a learning environment with no money, no space and no plan? Our communities throughout the North have commented in-depth regarding the Junior Kindergarten Program. We need an extra $40,000 to $50,000 to help implement the program, similar to the communities that have taken on the pilot project this past year. We need to have the proper

resources to carry out Junior Kindergarten, but we need funding in order to help that happen.

Education is high on our priority list. One of our goals for this Assembly is healthy, educated people free from poverty. Our priority states: ensure a fair and sustainable health care system by investing in prevention, education and awareness and early childhood development. How can we, as a government, make these priorities happen without adequate funding? Our children need us to be their voice. Yes, we want them in school. Yes, we want them to learn. The most important time for these children to learn is in the early stages of their lives. I urge the Minister to please give us the funds and help us to implement Junior Kindergarten in our schools.

Order! The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

Today I would like to pay tribute to the late Michael Eugene Bridgman of Lutselk’e, who passed away on March 31, 2014. Mike was the husband of Debra Bridgman and had two daughters, Chantyle and Sarah, who lived down south in Ontario. Mike had six grandchildren, a brother named Randy and two stepsons, Michael and Paul.

Mike was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, July 6, 1951, and spent the majority of his working years working for the Ford Motor Company where he was a welder and in assembly, and he spent 30 years doing that.

Mike believed in education. Towards the end of his career he got a degree in psychology and then applied for a job, when his wife became a teacher in Lutselk’e, as an adult educator and was an adult educator from 2010 until his passing last March.

Mike was a very dedicated person to the community. Debra was transferred to the Beaufort-Delta and had many conversations with Mike, asking him if he was interested in finding work in adult education in the Beaufort-Delta, and he was. He wanted to join his wife, but at the same time he was torn because he loved Lutselk’e.

Mike had joined the Rangers there, and he was very well liked and a popular individual in Lutselk’e. The community misses him, and last Friday they held a memorial, which the majority of the community showed up for.

Mike loved Lutselk’e. He was always out on the land, and because of his background in mechanics and welding and so on, he taught of lot of technical

skills to even adult students in Lutselk’e. Recently, when the Department of Education built a new adult learning centre he was very excited. He was the first teacher to be in there and he’d indicated that really helped a lot of his students.

Again, Mike will be very sadly missed by his family and the community of Lutselk’e. Everyone that had encountered Mike always thought he was a great guy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Item 4, returns to oral questions. Item 5, recognition of visitors in the gallery. Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker…[English translation not provided.]…

I’d just like to recognize and also welcome Education Hall of Fame inductees that are here with us for 2014. They are as follows: first, from the Beaufort-Delta Region, Lorna Storr. Lorna Storr is with us today. Welcome.

From the Deh Cho region, Martina Norwegian.

From the North Slave region, Liz Baile.

From the Sahtu region, George Cleary.

Not with us here today, but Celine Marlowe is another one from the South Slave region.

Also here with us as Minister’s Choice Award is Valerie Carter. Mahsi and welcome. Congratulations.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a few people in the gallery today from the NWT Seniors’ Society and the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society: Dawn Lacey, Barb Bromley, Esther Braden, Yvonne Quick, Martha MacLellan and Kim Doyle.

I’d also like to recognize and congratulate all of the inductees into the Education Hall of Fame. In particular I’d like to recognize Val Neville Carter. Everybody in their life has somebody who’s had a positive impact on their life, and if they hadn’t known that person, they might not be where they are today. For me one of those individuals is Val Neville Carter, who was my Grade 5 teacher. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank her for everything that she’s done for the people of the Northwest Territories and for me as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to welcome everybody who is in the gallery with us today. I also wanted to recognize two Pages

that I have working in the Assembly from the constituency of Kam Lake. I have a Ms. Sahara Lafferty and also Ms. Hayly Soares that are with us. They both attend Ecole St. Joseph School, also located in Kam Lake. They are in Grade 8 and I would like to welcome them and also thank all the Pages for the good, hard work they put in for Members during our session. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Premier McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to welcome all the visitors in the gallery and Gordon Graydon, who walks with me occasionally in the fieldhouse. I also want to recognize a Page from Yellowknife South, Chris Sangris, and also thank all the Pages for all the good work they do here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. R.C. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Lorna Storr, a well-deserved induction into the Education Hall of Fame. I’ve had the opportunity to know and work with Lorna for a number of years. I don’t think she has missed an Arctic Winter Games since they’ve started in 1970. I look forward to seeing her at many more.

I also want to congratulate the other recipients for being inducted into the Hall of Fame. It’s very important that we recognize the contribution that our educators make across the Territories. Judy also sends her congratulations. She asked where your clipboard was. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Blake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize Lorna Storr from Aklavik, one of the longest serving teachers in the Mackenzie Delta. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Blake. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to extend my congratulations to the winners of the Education Hall of Fame awards today. Congratulations to every one of them. I also can’t see them, but I want to mention the seniors who are here with us today. I am wearing my purple jacket specifically to raise awareness of elder abuse. I do have three Frame Lake residents I want to single out amongst the crowds up there, so to speak: Kim Doyle, Yvonne Quick and Gordon Graydon. Welcome, everyone, to the Assembly. Thank you.