Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleague, the Member from Kam Lake, I want to acknowledge that it is Small Business Week. This is a time to celebrate entrepreneurs and to focus on the importance of small business in the northern economy.

Mr. Speaker, both my parents were independent businesspeople, and they instilled the entrepreneurial spirit in me. They taught me that hard work equals reward. Not only monetary reward, other rewards can be even more valuable, like the chance to pursue an idea and see it grow from nothing to something; the reward of being your own boss and decision-maker; the reward of flexibility, and the freedom that it provides; the reward of inspiring others, helping them step into the risky world of business. That is the gift my parents gave to me.

I am a small business owner myself, Mr. Speaker, and I am excited that staff from my company will be part of this week's Small Business Week Conference hosted by the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Speaker, the program and exciting line-up of panelists at the conference shows an important fact about our economy: it is no longer all about resource development. With world-class resources, mining is and will remain a critical backbone of our economy. But, Mr. Speaker, a healthy economy needs to provide opportunities of many different kinds, and many of them will be represented at the conference this week.

I have spoken frequently in this Chamber about the important growth of our tourism sector. Tourism has been growing by leaps and bounds, in all seasons, across the NWT. Agriculture is another growing success story. I have visited the Northern Farm Training Institute and the Polar Eggs plant in Hay River, and I am very encouraged by the huge potential of this sector. Our film and television industry is another bright spot. Many projects, including two feature films, are among the achievements driven by a dedicated and growing group of northern media professionals.

This week's conference will tackle such diverse subjects as online marketing, encouraging Indigenous entrepreneurship, and the role of marketing and promotion in business success. It is an exciting conference with something for business people in all areas. Mr. Speaker, this week's small business conference embodies the importance of our mandate commitment to support a diversified economy. It also demonstrates how exciting it can be to build on ideas and creativity, the very foundation of entrepreneurship. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and all the conference participants for their ongoing support of small business. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.