Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. My statement is about blood, sweat and good teamwork.
Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu is the most remarkable place. The largest lake, Bear Lake, in Canada, is the first ice hockey game in Canada, the CANOL Trail, and now due to the true grit and determination of a couple of northern farmers, Norman Wells has become the potato capital of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, it began with some discouraging results: a poor crop of small potatoes last year. Mr. Speaker, that didn’t stop Doug Whiteman, owner of Green Enterprises. With some advice from PEI potato farmers, and somehow from his friend Brian Likochas, he had a great harvest this year.
Mr. Whiteman and Mr. Likochas mixed cattle manure into a soil and improved their harvesting techniques. Their reward was more than 9,000 pounds of potatoes. These are big potatoes, Mr. Speaker, averaging about a pound each. They are 100 percent organic grown red potatoes. They are tasty and they can compete with the prices in the Northern Store.
People from Norman Wells are buying these northern spuds. People from Tulita and Fort Good Hope have been taking them home by boatloads. I think there is a song coming with that, Mr. Speaker; however, I will wait.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Whiteman received financial aid from the Government of the Northwest Territories through Industry, Tourism and Investment that helped to purchase a tractor and an industrial Rototiller. Mr. Speaker, with the success of this good news, Mr. Whiteman also has 70 turkeys --and, no, we are not the turkey capital of the Northwest Territories --
---Laughter
...and chickens. He had a good year growing carrots too. I hope his success will encourage others in the Sahtu and people in the Northwest Territories to start producing vegetables for their families and to have a cash crop. Perhaps others will get into the self-sufficiency attitude, and this way, Mr. Speaker, communities will become less reliant on imported produce, and produce more and become more self-reliant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
