Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to acknowledge the accomplishment of a young man from Fort Simpson, Mr. Wesley Hardisty. Wes is only 18 years old. He took up the fiddle just five years ago through the outreach work of the Kole Crook Fiddle Association. His talent was obvious. As a young teenager he moved to Salt Spring Island, BC, to develop that talent at the Gulf Islands School of Performing Arts.
He has since performed at fiddle camps and festivals all across Canada, billed as a fiddling sensation. In 2011 he played for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their northern tour, and made his first CD called 12:12, meaning life is good, appreciate it and enjoy it. He continues to return home to Fort Simpson to perform at our own Open Sky Festival. Northerners have also been treated to his music at Folk on the Rocks in Yellowknife and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in Inuvik.
Last night Wesley Hardisty received national recognition by winning the Aboriginal People’s Choice Award for Best Fiddle CD at the RBC Ohshkii Awards Night. Congratulations. For these awards, the music industry nominates the performers, but hundreds of ordinary people vote on-line for the winners.
The communities of the Deh Cho region, with their Dene and Metis heritage, have always been known for their excellent fiddlers. Now I can boast the best fiddler in the country comes from my riding.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
