Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In life at times we are very fortunate to meet someone special who shows up in our life to either teach us, give us a push or just to listen. Well, Mr. Speaker, I had that experience in my life, as well as many others too. I recently heard a good friend, Mansell Gray, passed away on October 22, 2010, in Hay River. He was surrounded by many of those he helped and by clergy who prayed for him.
Mansell came north in 1988 and worked in Fort Providence, Fort McPherson and, finally, in Hay River. Later on, in the ‘90s, Mansell was joined by his wife, Elaine, who has since passed. Mansell had numerous jobs throughout his stay in the North, but as an alcohol and drug counsellor he is remembered by a lot of people for helping them get sober, stay sober and live one day at a time. He was very active in the self-help movement in Hay River and the world. He was on 24/7 365 days a year.
Mansell was also active in politics. As a matter of fact, his daughter Deb Gray was once a former member of the Reform Party. However, it was the work with alcohol addictions that always returned him to the people he loved and now we say thank you, Mansell. A memorial service will be held in Hay River on November 6th at the Roman Catholic Church.
