Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, George A. P. Jooris was born on the 15th of June 1951 to Daniel and Jeanine Jooris. He passed away on January 29th, 2022, in Fort Liard.

George left Luxemburg as a young man to see the world and leave his mark upon it. This was the same way he had an impact on the residents of Fort Liard's lives. George's parents had instilled with him the values such as open-mindedness, kindness, care, and love towards his peers. Although some did not understand it and considered it a sign of weakness, George considered it as his strength and a brand of his family even when he tried to hide it behind his gruff character.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to use some of Koty Loe, words that were shared at his funeral: I first met George when I was a young man. I remembered George's accent that I only heard in movies. In true George fashion, when he spoke to people it was not as a child but as a person. People remembered having very interesting conversations with him. Even though they didn't always agree, his perspective on things were very enlightening.

Mr. Speaker, George first met his love of his life Shirley in 1989 at the Fort Liard Northern store, and they've been together ever since. George married Shirley in 1995 during a ceremony at Whistle's Landing, an event which people still remember as if it were yesterday. They built two homes and have cared for and raised three strong, intelligent boys together - Jason, Liam, and the three boys nicknamed as Bah. When speaking to other youth, remembered him fondly.

George spent a lot of time on land around the Fort Nelson First Nation's territory, especially Burke and Needlay families during his time there, and he gained the nickname George Needlay.

George was an established welder by trade and worked for several years in the ENR warehouse managing their supplies. He was always very politically active in local matters, as those of us who remember him well can attest to. He held firm to his principles throughout his life and defended them in the same manner, a trait which we could all benefit from. George named his big grey welding truck Big Bertha after his grandmother. She was a tiny little lady, but she got louder and threw her weight around enough that everybody around her acknowledged her authority. He thought that was very funny.

Mr. Speaker, George had touched many people's lives everywhere he had been and will be remembered well by especially those in Fort Nelson and Fort Liard. He will be especially missed by those of us whose life he has managed to influence during his time among us. Rest well on your journey, George.