Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that the North faces significant challenges when it comes to the health and wellness of our residents. During the last election, and since then, I have heard many calls for a brick and mortar treatment centre or some kind of facility that can offer made-in-the-North, culturally appropriate care for Northerners.

I think, with the very recent and tragic events involving the death of an Indigenous man in one of our communities who was mistakenly thought to be drunk when in fact he was suffering from a stroke, it is further evidence that we need a system of care and treatment that is informed by Indigenous culture and Indigenous traditional knowledge.

Thankfully, we have a group in the Northwest Territories now, the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation, that is actively pursuing creating a new Indigenous wellness foundation here in Yellowknife. I am very pleased to support this work. This project has been brought to the attention of our standing committees and our Members. At the time, it was very well received. I am glad that the foundation has moved forward, and we can start to take action.

These sorts of facilities are not uncommon in Canada. In fact, many other jurisdictions have similar facilities, including cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. Certainly, this is something that our residents would benefit from. As the foundation has said, it is not a gift. It is a sustainable investment in real solutions that take into account the very complex and critical needs of Northerners, who are often left outside of the health system despite our best efforts.

It is time to think outside the box. It is time to listen to the wisdom of the elders and to end the practices of colonization that often do more harm than good and start reversing the course of a legacy of colonization that continues to hold back the futures of our Indigenous people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.