Thank you, Madam Speaker. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosemary Gill retired June 8, 2020, after spending her working life in education, management, and career development, mostly in northern Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and finally the Northwest Territories. Rosemary taught elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education and has worked in management and career development for provincial and territorial as well as First Nations governments.
Rosemary was born in Wrigley to Elizabeth and Albert Horesay. Her father moved the family to Fort Simpson to work for John Goodall when she was a year old and spent her formative years in the Deh Cho. She attended Thomas Simpson Secondary School, Sir John Franklin High School, Aurora College, University of Alberta, as well as completing an after-degree program, Aboriginal governance, at the University of Victoria.
Rosemary and her husband, Lyall, decided to give back to their community, thus moved home in 2000 to work for Lidlii Kue First Nation as the executive director and general manager for Nogha Enterprises. After two years later, Lyall was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2004. Rosemary then left abruptly, eventually ending up in the Yukon, working for Ta'an Kwach'an Council as their executive director. She decided to retire in 2009, spent a wonderful summer with her grandchildren but, without a retirement plan, was at loose ends and was soon enticed to help out a friend who was elected chief for his First Nation in northern B.C.
Rosemary returned home in 2011 and went to work for Education, Culture and Employment as a career development officer before moving to Aurora College as the program head for the Deh Cho region in 2011. It was in this capacity that she was seconded with full support of the GNWT to Dehcho First Nations as the senior advisor to the grand chief in 2019, a position she held until her retirement.
Rosemary stated, "My career success in a lifetime of interesting employment opportunities can be tied directly to the education I've taken advantage of." She firmly believes that education is the one factor that will mean success in life for our youth. We can no longer be complacent about the disparity between the graduation rates in the NWT compared to the rest of Canada. Creative solutions and best practices are needed to make a difference. We must place a higher value on education, as parents and members of our community, working as a team to ensure a positive experience for our students. Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted