Debates of March 31, 2004 (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to follow up on the Member for Kam Lake’s statement because mine is similar in context. I would like to begin my Member’s statement by using a descriptive phrase we trappers grew up with. In March, as we were told by our grandparents, the weather is supposed to be roaring like a lion and go out like a lamb. I was told this morning that my constituency in Inuvik has been the reverse this year. It came in like a lamb and it is now going out like a lion. Mr. Speaker, I raise this important issue as someone who is normally on the land, trapping muskrats, getting wind burnt, getting a good suntan at this time of year.

Mr. Speaker, there are a tremendous number of local stories told about an elder in the Mackenzie Delta during the muskrat trapping season, none of which is allowed to be retold in this Assembly. But since this is an important time of year for our trappers in the Mackenzie Delta, including my riding of Inuvik Twin Lakes, I am going to take this opportunity to send my annual muskrat trapping greetings to the following people: Edward and Jeannie Lennie, Sam and Margaret Lennie, Roger and Rose Anne, you know who they are, Big Johnny and his partner, Gilligan and Rhoda, Big Ben, just to name a few who are going to be referred to by their nicknames, Mr. Speaker. I want to leave the last for the best, and that is none other than my cousin Ian McLeod, the trapper extraordinaire in his own right. I just wanted to let the people know that I will be joining them within the next two weeks so we can trap the…(inaudible)…Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause