Mr. Speaker, today is the first sitting day of our second year. The air outside is fresh, and after seven long months of COVID, today is a good day to hit the reset button. Last night, I spoke with a bright young student named Maggie, preparing for today's class presentation on the NWT. I asked her about her favourite NWT thing, and her response was, "The ice castle." Her favourite thing is a local "king" in Carhartt's who cuts his castle from our frozen lake to create a community that vibrates with excitement, and I love that.
A year ago, I stood here and congratulated my colleagues because together we made history. I said last year was not only a turning point in history for the NWT but for the world. 2019 was indeed a global turning point. It gave us the non-refundable gift of COVID-19. This year, we have all been challenged and tasked with looking at our world differently. However, Mr. Speaker, while the GNWT is tasked with keeping Northerners safe, this Assembly cannot lose sight of our individual and collective commitments to the people we serve. We are all ready to see COVID go, but we need to continue to find ways to work with it.
Northerners have long been known for their resilience and ability to care for one another. This year, government has shown its ability to react to changing policies, finding funds and working differently in record time. While it may feel like COVID has slowed much of the world to a screeching halt, it has also created momentum and opportunity. It is up to us to keep that momentum going. COVID is still a top concern, but I speak daily with constituents concerned with northern procurement benefit retention, training skilled workers, economic drivers for the NWT, as well as addictions and wellness supports. We have work to do, Mr. Speaker.
A year ago, we shared what we wanted to accomplish, and I asked us to define our collective "why." Listening to my colleagues, it is clear that we know our "why." Every day, we share stories of Northerners determined to survive and thrive, and with them, we work for a stronger North not for just ourselves but also for the next generation who want to be leaders in their own communities, this territory, or maybe even the ice castle. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.