Mr. Speaker, on February 10, 2017, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs announced an annual notice of nomination deadline for the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards, with a focus about recognizing and celebrating remarkable contributions of volunteers from across the NWT.

Mr. Speaker, last year Ms. Leona Berreault from Fort Liard was the 2016 Outstanding Volunteer in the youth category. I have had the pleasure of knowing and witnessing Leona volunteer and do the work in her community. For those who do not know Leona, she is a student at the Echo Dene School in Fort Liard, where she has contributed over a hundred hours of volunteer work for the school and her community.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very impressive amount of time when you need to consider she still has all her schoolwork to do, and don't forget her involvement in sports!

Mr. Speaker, I have witnessed her work hard in school, and she is always asking questions to better understand concepts.

Like other youth, Leona has faced challenges in her young life, but she has never given up on her goals and keeps a positive attitude. To top things off, Leona is a constant support for her little sister, babysits whenever she is needed, and finds a way to manage her busy schedule around this priority. To make things even more interesting for Leona, she has been working with her classmates for the past three years as they fundraise for a trip to Spain this spring. She is regularly in charge of running Saturday night movie for Fort Liard students.

Mr. Speaker, Leona has developed into a positive role model for others and can often be heard explaining the difference between paid work and volunteering to younger students she interacts with. Leona understands the value of volunteering and she is a wonderful representative of community minded spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what is in the water, but she is one of many youth in the community who steps up. The past couple years, I've witnessed Chase Berrault -- yes, her brother -- and Mikala Mcleod run the after-school program for the youth and coach the younger youth in soccer. They both give thankless hours for others.

Mr. Speaker, there are other volunteers out there who continue to contribute for the betterment of their community but have not been recognized. I would strongly encourage Northerners to nominate an elder, youth, individual, or group volunteer in their communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.