Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’d like to use my Member’s statement to acknowledge the passing of Jack Adderley in December. Jack was 86 and had lived in Yellowknife for 52 years. He was well known for many things, especially his humour. One of the lasting efforts that Jack left our community was the 1972 partnership with Jack Sigvaldson, commonly known as Sig, when the two of them launched their own newspaper, a local rag called the Yellowknifer. I’m sure many of you may have heard of it before.
The first cutting-edge newspaper was designed on the desk of a kitchen table and the dark room was Sig’s bathroom. The NWT government at the time didn’t think that their enterprise was worth financing. Times changed and moved past, and nearly 39 years later that has evolved into the Northern News Services, which has published seven different community papers. With the characteristic candour and style that Jack had been known for, he reported government oversight and hard criticism and accountability on Yellowknifer’s anniversary every year.
Before arriving in Yellowknife, Jack had served in the Royal Canadian Navy in World War II and in Korea. He was a signalman and he brought those skills here to the North by providing Morse Code, which at that time was one of the only ways to communicate out of the North.
By 1959 he moved to Yellowknife and worked at the Yellowknife Airport. Jack’s voice was also heard and entertained many Yellowknifers over the years from his commentary when he announced and covered the hockey games and in the summer when he covered the ball games at Tommy Forest Park. Eventually he even had his own radio show on CBC Sports called the Jack Adderley Sports Reel. George Tuccaro, our esteemed Commissioner, has credited Jack for helping him on his way to become a successful broadcaster.
Jack Adderley had been involved with many, many community events and he certainly was a player in the activity of our city. He was active in the Royal Canadian Legion and was often the parade marshal on Remembrance Day. He and his wife also helped establish, with their work, the Abe Miller Centre. Both Jack and his wife, Mary, spent their final years at Aven Manor, where Mary died two years before him.
While Jack was a resident at Aven, I had many occasions to stop and hear many interesting stories from him. My favourite was when he would talk about the stories of how he and Sig would settle their editorial disputes and, certainly, creative arguments at the paper, which was simply flipping a match and deciding who won over that.
In closing, my condolences go to the Adderley family. Jack will certainly be missed by many people. I certainly will make note that the Aven Manor has never been the same without him. I miss his stories and his laughter.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
