Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the next few weeks across the Northwest Territories young people are getting ready to celebrate the completion of school by having their grade 12 graduation ceremonies. This is the time for them to acknowledge the achievements that they’ve made. I’m especially honoured to be invited to the Inuvik Samuel Hearne high school grade 12 graduation ceremony tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to that.
I’d like to send a message out there to young people. This is a time to celebrate your achievements. Part of the celebration, I know, for a lot of them is going out and having graduation parties. Although I would discourage it, I know it’s going to happen, so I’m asking all of you out there just to be very careful while you’re out. Especially use this time to reflect on and celebrate your achievements, and thank the people who guided you through those years that you went to school — your parents, your teachers, some of your peers.
There’s a bright future ahead for a lot of kids finishing school. Our post-secondary funding is second to none in the country, and I would encourage you to take advantage of it. You’ve got a whole future out there. Some of you may even end up in this Assembly, and if you do, I’m going to teach you how to say yes once in a while. It’s a new chapter in the lives of the young people out there. Use it for a time of celebration, reflect on everything that you’ve done and just be very careful, again, while you’re out there.
As an Assembly we salute your achievements, and we just want all the grads across the Northwest Territories to know that we are very especially proud of them, and we look forward to the contribution that I think they’re going to make to the Northwest Territories in the future. I think we have a bright future; I think we have a bright group of kids coming up. We acknowledge that and try to promote it with the education system we have here. People do have issues with the quality of the education, but I think we have a post-secondary education that gives a lot of kids up here an opportunity they wouldn’t normally get, and I would encourage them to go grab a hold of that opportunity, because it’s there. Best of luck to all the grads and whatever you decide to do in your future.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is a special day for the residents of Fort McPherson and Chief Julius School. Today some 15 graduates will be graduating from Chief Julius School. Of the 15 graduates there are five sets of brothers — Alyn Charlie, Aryn Charlie; Grant Snowshoe, Waylon Snowshoe; Robert Koe, Desmond Koe; Corey Alexie, Glenn Alexie; Jeffrey Robert, Perry Robert — along with Steven Kimiksana, Jennifer Greenland, Megan McCormick, Bobbie Rose Koe, and Ashlynn Allen.
I’d like to take this time to congratulate each and every one of the graduates and, more importantly, their families and their teachers and the staff of Chief Julius School for everything they have done to make sure that these children were able to graduate.
Mr. Speaker, it’s an important time for our communities when we see some 15 graduates graduate from our high schools in our small communities. They are our future; they are the ones that will make the difference to the benefit of all the communities. I encourage the students to continue on with their educational endeavours and to continue on to better themselves and take advantage of those opportunities in the future.
I would also like to recognize three graduates from Tsiigehtchic who will be graduating in Inuvik tomorrow: Darby Blake, Maranda Blake and Shelly Andre. I would like to also recognize my niece Ashlyn Krutko, who will also be graduating in Inuvik tomorrow.
In closing, I would like to congratulate each and every one of them and, more importantly, their families. Again, it’s our communities that win when we see our students graduating.
With that, all the best, good luck and continue on with your educational endeavours. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Members’ statements. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
