Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to say, listening to the Sir John choir that was here, that was beautiful music. I thought I was in heaven. Then I heard the bells over there. Gee, I must be really in heaven. It was an awesome job. Mr. Speaker, I want to say it was awesome by the hidden talent in the Northwest Territories. It reminds me of my statement today in terms of what I am going to say about the residential school for the Northwest Territories.
This government has made history in terms of having the first and being the only jurisdiction in Canada to recognize and observe on May 26th as a national day for residential school for healing and reconciliation. It is a big step for us. It gives a lot of commitment and support to the people who are dealing with residential schools in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, there are roughly, in my estimate and research, over 23 residential schools in the Northwest Territories right down the Mackenzie Valley. The earliest being the 1865, the latest about both in 1996. That is over 131 years of residential schools experiences in the Northwest Territories. Every community that we visit, there is someone that has been impacted by the residential school experiences. Good or bad, right or wrong, they had the experience for themselves, their parents or brothers or sisters. There are a lot of people in the communities. This government observing May 26th really gives them the support and gives them help. I also want to take a step further by asking that this government somehow formulate with all this complexity of the residential schools and helping the people have some form of central unit that would help the people in the communities with the early payments, with the healing and all the other stuff that needs to go on to get this experience out once and for all and start the real human process.
I want to say, Mr. Speaker, that our people in our communities are looking at the healing mode. They are looking at healing within their families and in the communities. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be part of this legislation that gives history to Canada and again the Northwest Territories is not shy of a good fight when it comes to it. I think we all show that through May 26th. Thank you very much.
---Applause
