Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, demonstrating her strength of will, independence, and sass right to the end of her well-lived 48 years, Sherri Lynn Thomson passed away Monday, December 6th.

Born in Yorkton September 15th, 1973, the third child of Graham and Linda's four children, Sherri spent her earliest years in southern Saskatchewan with her family before settling in 1977 on the PFRM farm.

Sherri developed a passion for hockey, participated in minor hockey programs, and from grade 10 to 12, played for the Fort Saskatchewan First Team culminating with a trip to the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island in the spring of 1999. Her involvement did not end there. After playing, she transitioned to coaching the Select Midget Female Hockey Program.

Sherri had her sights set on teaching and pursued her dream immediately after high school, attending the University of Saskatchewan and completing her education degree in 1996. Starting her career close to home, demonstrating the streak of independence, she worked a total of 19 years in the Northwest Territories with the Dehcho Divisional Educational Council teaching in Fort Providence, Fort Simpson as a teacher, principal, and later on as literacy consultant.

In those two decades living in Canada's North, Sherri truly embraced the lifestyle and people, as did they. This is where I got to meet her and appreciate her commitment to the North.

Sherri enjoyed travelling and was able to do major trips during her time in the North. She took time away from her work to do a European tour and a trip to New Zealand, Australia, and Tonga.

Her initial diagnosis of ovarian cancer came in 2014. A second diagnosis in 2017 led her to retire from her career and move back back home in 2018.

Not one to sit still, Sherri fulfilled another dream. After some wrangling with her dad, she bought land from Graham's immediately east of her childhood home and proceeded to oversee the construction of a beautiful home, perfectly placed to capture the prairie sunrise and sunset.

With her mom passing away in 2010, that was Sherri's biggest loss in her family's life. An indication of her strength, the kind of strengths they needed and held, would also draw upon with Sherri's third diagnosis later on 2020.

Thanks to tremendous support from her family, friends and neighbours, she was able to stay home until late November. Sherri passed away as she lived, letting her feelings and emotions, options known, and facing her challenges without fear or complaint. It would only be appropriate that Sherri gets the last word and final blessing.

Taken from a recent Facebook post featuring a splendid sunset behind a row of her lovely horses, "I was reminded today of the blessings and simple pleasures of time spent with family and friends. No commitments, no plans, just the joy of each others' company. When the crisis has passed, we will remember to do those simple things or get caught up in the web of busy that we have been forced to live without. Please let it be the former." Mr. Speaker, she will be sadly missed.