Mr. Speaker, good afternoon. The Kole Crook Fiddle Association turns 12 years old this year. It was registered as a society in 2003 and has chapters in six communities and provides a wonderful music program to 12 communities in the Northwest Territories. This fills a void in our education system that doesn’t offer music in all our schools.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge the late fiddler, Kole Crook, whom the association is named for. He shared his gift throughout the North and was known for his gentle ways and selfless generosity. He passed away far too young at 27 years.

He provided inspiration by exposure. The Kole Crook Fiddle Association believes, as I do, that students who study music and arts are more successful and achieve higher grades in school. Children who study musical instruments are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school and pursue further education. Schools with music programs have an estimated 90 percent graduation rate and 93 percent attendance rate compared to schools without music education.

In the NWT we have many remote communities and the Fiddle Association’s philosophy is to get out there and teach this music skill to our youth, a skill that they simply cannot get in their home community. These repeated visits and continuous teaching is beneficial to the students as they grow and learn. They have a four point strategy: an annual fiddle camp, an annual teachers workshop, travelling Fiddle Teacher Program as well as to the students most interested, they are sponsored to attend fiddle camps throughout Canada.

Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Self-esteem is a by-product of self-expression. We spoke yesterday about mental

health and wellness. This effort and dedication by the Kole Crook Fiddle Association has and will continue to foster positive attitudes in our children. Success like this comes when people work together, teachers in our schools, volunteers helping with the events, parents encouraging their children, the fiddle teachers themselves and the hardworking board of the Kole Crook Fiddle Association.

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

---Unanimous consent granted