Heritage Day. This is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the diversity of heritage and culture that all Canadians enjoy. In the NWT, we are especially blessed with an exciting history and a strong sense of heritage.

While our communities and residents have many opportunities every year to celebrate culture and heritage, today I would like to recognize a number of community-based projects in the Northwest Territories that are part of a national program called the Historical Places Initiative. Under this initiative, communities, heritage organizations and government institutions are working together to document, preserve and make better known those places across this country that are important reminders of our heritage and traditions.

This year:

In the community of Enterprise, heritage sites in the community are being researched as part of a heritage plan to guide future planning work.

The Sambaa K’e Dene Band is involving the elders of Trout Lake in an inventory of sensitive cultural places important to the community’s heritage.

In Yellowknife, the City Heritage Committee is publishing an updated walking tour brochure and a heritage map to promote city of Yellowknife’s heritage sites.

The Yellowknives Dene First Nations is continuing a vital archaeological heritage inventory of Drybones Bay, Wool Bay and McKay Lake.

The Gameti First Nations is documenting the heritage buildings and traditional architecture of the Rae Lakes community so that traditional knowledge is not lost.

In Fort McPherson, the Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute is putting its expertise to work at documenting cultural places for recognition as territorial heritage sites and is also publishing a guidebook on the community’s historic Trading Post.

In an innovative move, the people of Tsiigehtchic are researching the history of the Roman Catholic Church and Church Hill as part of the community action plan and they intend to nominate the site as a territorial historic site.

The Inuvik Nihtat Gwich’in Council have targeted the sensitive and historically important Campbell Lake area for a cultural sites inventory.

Mr. Speaker, community-based projects such as these are important for preserving our knowledge about previous generations, those who have left their gentle marks on our northern landscape. I would like to congratulate and thank all who have been involved in these important projects. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause