Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In our communities in the Northwest Territories, there’s excitement, Mr. Speaker; excitement in our youth and in their recognition of achievement; excitement that the people in the communities are celebrating achievements for our youth; excitement that those who entered kindergarten are now finishing Grade 12 and getting their diploma; excitement from parents, aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents and friends to witness this young person and their rite of passage, stepping into the world of choices, stepping into the world of opportunities, stepping into the world of their dreams and stepping into the world of their leadership capabilities.
We say sometimes this is just like the scenario of an eagle, the mother eagle which slowly nudges the baby eagles out of the nest until we say they’re gone. As parents, as uncles and cousins, we know this. We raise our children to one day know they are going to step into this world and they’re gone.
They say it’s an empty nest feeling. I truly understand that. We know that when they take flight, they will fly and they will challenge and they will strengthen their wings, their feathers and they will balance, but we’ll be there for them. We’re excited not because we finally said they’re gone, we can have the house to ourselves, we’re excited to know the potential these grads have, the potential to what they can become and what they believe in. I tell these grads, we have what you want, you can believe in your dreams. Believe me, Mr. Speaker, dreams do come true.
To those grads, congratulations to all of the grads in the Northwest Territories, especially the ones I am going to miss in the Sahtu. I am very, very proud of you. I’m proud of the parents. I’m proud of the teachers in the schools. Way to go, grads. Live a good life. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
