Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 1964 the federal Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources built and opened up the scientific research laboratory in Inuvik. It was Canada’s first permanent scientific research station in the Western Arctic or north of the Arctic Circle. The centre quickly became known locally as the Inuvik Research Laboratory or The Lab and, later, The Research Centre.
The lab was turned over to the Northwest Territories in 1984 and renamed the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories. A decade later, in 1995, it merged with Aurora College to become Aurora Research Institute.
After 46 years of continual operation and heavy use by the research community, the original building was replaced in 2011 with a beautiful state-of-the-art facility that was designed with researchers and specifically northern researchers in mind. The new facility was named the Western Arctic Research Centre.
For more than 50 years, local, national and international researchers have been coming to the Western Arctic to build a collective understanding of our region, the country and the world. This area has been the location for many important and significant contributions of knowledge, both scientific and traditional, to a variety of research areas. These have included investigations of the physical, biological and social environments of Inuvik and the Beaufort-Delta.
In addition to researchers, community members made the lab a community hub and an active part of town life. Prior to television and movie theatres arriving in Inuvik, the lab sponsored movie nights on Fridays. That tradition was revisited during October this year and proves to be still a very popular event.
The lab was also the venue for some of the first Inuvik town hall sessions, where the development of other town facilities, such as the library and arena, were proposed and discussed. In this tradition, the Aurora Research Institute continues to remain strong ties with Inuvik residents by hosting public research lectures and facilitating science outreach activities for children and youth. It is hoped that these events both raise awareness of northern science and research taking place in our region and make science more accessible to members of the local community.
Mr. Speaker, I too seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, to commemorate the anniversary of 50 years of research in Inuvik, a number of community events are being planned throughout the month of November. Fifty years of continuous research service in Inuvik shows how important the Beaufort-Delta region is to studying the big questions that impact everyone. Our territory is ever changing and will continue to be an important place to study many environmental, social and cultural issues.
The Aurora Research Institute is committed to serving the region and the NWT through supporting research needs of Northerners. I would just like all Members to join me in congratulating 50 years of research in the Northwest Territories that helped shape the North and helped shape how we make decisions in this House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
