Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in celebration of International Women’s Day, as you indicated. I am very thankful and happy we have a lot of wise women here with us today in the gallery. I am also very pleased that I sit between two very wise women in politics. We should be cheering, Mr. Speaker. These women here teach this old dog many new tricks.
---Laughter
I’m not here just to speak about our lovely ladies here today; I am also here to talk about a partnership. I am here to talk about the Yellowknife Community Foundation and Diavik Diamond Mines. The Yellowknife Community Foundation was established in 1991 and they administer over $3 million worth of assets. Those assets turn into donations back to the community in various formats. Over the years they have given back to the community anywhere between $75,000 a year to over $125,000 a year. I think that is quite an accomplishment for a community of this size.
What we have heard recently was a partnership of a recent announcement with the Yellowknife Community Foundation and Diavik Diamond Mines. Diavik Diamond Mines has announced the establishment of a Diavik Community Scholarship Fund. What makes this fund very unique is that it’s actually open not just to Yellowknife students. This is actually open to support tertiary education for students across Canada’s Northwest Territories and the West Kitikmeot region of Nunavut. This is a very broad approach. This is actually quite new for the Yellowknife Community Foundation. I applaud them for reaching beyond the boundaries of Yellowknife.
According to the chief operating officer of Diavik Diamond Mines, the purpose behind it is to promote northern skills development and, hopefully, for a sustainable future in resources.
The scholarship fund itself, as I said, is open to all NWT students and West Kitikmeot students, with a priority for Aboriginal students seeking a college diploma or a university degree or a related trade certification in the resource industry.
So, once again, we need to applaud the good work and stewardship of our companies out there. Diavik Diamond Mines is once again reaching out to not just the community of Yellowknife, but to all Northwest Territories and West Kitikmeot, and for that we should thank them for their continued stewardship and support for our communities. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
