Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to turn our attention to something that is of great concern to many parents and guardians of young children not only my riding of Hay River, but also, I am sure, throughout the Northwest Territories. The issue I am speaking of is children with life-threatening allergies who are attending schools in the NWT. For example, Mr. Speaker, I am aware of a child in Hay River who has an allergy to peanuts. If this child comes in contact with peanuts, any by-product of peanuts, or any substance that has been contaminated by peanuts, he will become violently ill and could experience a life-threatening reaction. There are many children with allergies attending school in Hay River, which is a serious concern for parents. Although students and parents are requested not to bring peanut products to school, it has been reported that some children continue to pack peanut products in their lunches and recess snacks. This is of great concern for parents as this may inadvertently cause a life-threatening incident to a child with allergies.

Life-threatening food allergies -- most commonly nuts, peanuts or shellfish -- can kill children. True food allergies occur in roughly six percent of children. Anaphylaxis occurs in approximately one in 200 school-age children. One in six episodes of anaphylaxis occurs at school. Children spend over one-third of their waking hours at school. Studies of fatal anaphylaxis have demonstrated that patients who died from this have generally been exposed to their trigger unknowingly, away from home, and that essential treatment was delayed.

Mr. Speaker, in recent news, we have heard of two separate incidents that resulted in death in Edmonton alone, just in the past three months. Both of these young people came in contact with just traces of peanuts and that contact was fatal for each of them.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, my point is, although the government has some regulations in place and our school administration and teachers are doing their best that they can do to protect their students, there is still no legal restrictions in the schools to prevent allergic substances from being brought in where children’s allergies could be

at risk. We must protect the children in our schools against exposure to any and all allergens. The only possible way to provide this protection is with legislation that would prohibit these allergens from being brought into the schools and making our classrooms a safe and healthy place for all children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause