Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
Today I would like to pay tribute to the late Michael Eugene Bridgman of Lutselk’e, who passed away on March 31, 2014. Mike was the husband of Debra Bridgman and had two daughters, Chantyle and Sarah, who lived down south in Ontario. Mike had six grandchildren, a brother named Randy and two stepsons, Michael and Paul.
Mike was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, July 6, 1951, and spent the majority of his working years working for the Ford Motor Company where he was a welder and in assembly, and he spent 30 years doing that.
Mike believed in education. Towards the end of his career he got a degree in psychology and then applied for a job, when his wife became a teacher in Lutselk’e, as an adult educator and was an adult educator from 2010 until his passing last March.
Mike was a very dedicated person to the community. Debra was transferred to the Beaufort-Delta and had many conversations with Mike, asking him if he was interested in finding work in adult education in the Beaufort-Delta, and he was. He wanted to join his wife, but at the same time he was torn because he loved Lutselk’e.
Mike had joined the Rangers there, and he was very well liked and a popular individual in Lutselk’e. The community misses him, and last Friday they held a memorial, which the majority of the community showed up for.
Mike loved Lutselk’e. He was always out on the land, and because of his background in mechanics and welding and so on, he taught of lot of technical skills to even adult students in Lutselk’e. Recently, when the Department of Education built a new adult learning centre he was very excited. He was the first teacher to be in there and he’d indicated that really helped a lot of his students.
Again, Mike will be very sadly missed by his family and the community of Lutselk’e. Everyone that had encountered Mike always thought he was a great guy. Thank you.
