Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to introduce to the House a group of students from Ecole J.H. Sissons School. These students in particular, who are all here in the gallery today, are an amazing group of young people who, through hard work and dedication, decided to invoke change within their community. What change do you ask? Well, these students decided that they were going to do something about homelessness.
In December of last year, Miss Anna Pontin approached her principal, Mr. Bennett, and expressed an interest in helping the homeless people in Yellowknife. Anna, a Grade 4 student at J.H. Sissons, was inspired by the work of another young person who was determined to make change: Ms. Hannah Taylor from Winnipeg. Although Ms. Taylor is now at the ripe old age of 15 years old, Ms. Taylor started helping the homeless when she was just five years old, and today she now has an organization called Ladybug Foundation that has helped homelessness across Canada in many major cities. That should remind us that you are never too young to start.
With the determination and energy like no other, Ms. Pontin enlisted five of her cohorts, five particular young people that she knew would bring special skills to this movement she was changing. Although, through this collaboration, these young folks were able to launch and focus their mission. The first thing they did, knowing it was an enormous topic, they called upon Mayor Heyck, who met with them to discuss the issues so they could learn more about homeless people in our city, about the programs and the partner organizations.
After learning a fair bit about this particular issue, and at the same time realizing how large this issue really was, they decided they should focus their efforts specifically at the downtown day shelter. As such, these students then called upon Ms. Bardak to meet with them to talk about what they could do to help.
One particular area that they found that could make an immediate difference was they found that many of the clients had no access to crafts and music, so with an unwavering focus before them, they now were off and running with their mission.
The students decided to first raise some funds for this project for providing crafts, arts and music to the people at the downtown day shelter. As such, our young homelessness team, or crusaders, went on to present to all the other classes at J.H. Sissons, and they did this with such excitement, I’ll say that their excitement drew out enthusiasm, and it certainly was utterly changing and infectious.
May I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement?
---Unanimous consent granted
Their enthusiasm was infectious. Within a few days, these students raised $576, with several donations of musical instruments, but it didn’t just stop there. Since their initial presentation, they have pledged many other types of assistance. One particular student said, please don’t bring gifts to my birthday party; make a donation. She was able to raise $120.
The kindergarten kids proved that they are not too young, as well, to provide an additional $30 with their fundraising. They collected many things, such as winter clothes, mitts, gloves and toques for the shelter. Further, they continue to raise money for craft programs. They continue to have a weekly fresh bread drive that gets dropped off at the shelter once a week. Finally, these individuals continue to collect dry goods and canned goods for the Food Bank.
If you have been keeping tabs, which I know you have, you will now realize that they’ve raised over $700, along with collected musical instruments, new clothes, weekly bread drives, and they donate to the food shelter. The result of these young people is profound and has had an enormous positive effect, including on myself.
To bring this to a close, this all started with one student’s determination to do something, to lead a life-altering project strengthening partnership with six amazing students. They work together with their school and their community. In Rehtaeh Parsons words, everyone deserves dignity. The work of these fine students is bringing some dignity back.
To close this off, later today I will recognize the hard work that these individuals have done, and I will be asking for the attention of this House to recognize them individually. The work of the homelessness continues. Thank you to all of these fine students for reminding us how important it is and how young people can make change in their community. Thank you one and all.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
