Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday this is an important week for the business community. This week the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce is recognizing Small Business Week. I have the privilege of being a small business owner and operator myself. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities. They reflect the will, resolve and dedication of individuals and families. They are people who have a good idea and want to make things happen in their community, so they go out, relying on their own idea, work hard and make things happen.
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned yesterday, small businesses are at the core of activities that keep our community healthy, active and vibrant. They are the corner store, the coffee shop, the gathering place. They provide the first job for a boy or a girl in their foray into the workforce; the chance of a little pocket money for a student working towards his or her future. If there is a new idea out there being tried for the first time, it's often a small business that's doing it.
I feel fortunate that my riding of Yellowknife North is home to a broad range of thriving small businesses. From artists and authors to bush plane operators; from auto body shops to the NWT's only craft brewery; from tourism operators to naturopathic health providers, a glass recycler and one of the North's oldest retailers, Weaver and Devore. I am fortunate to represent the riding that's home to these businesses, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I'd like to single out three Yellowknife North businesses that received awards at the YK Chamber of Commerce business awards gala last weekend. The Small Business of the Year award was given to the NWT Brewing Company. The Breakout New Business award went to Award Communications, and the Customer Service Award of Excellence was awarded to Quality Furniture. These successful businesses and many others are good examples of the spirit of independence, hard work and determination that makes small businesses such an important element of our economy in the North.
Mr. Speaker, the business community is always there for our communities. I ask my colleagues to join me in consciously making an effort to support our local businesses. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.