Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to take this opportunity to speak about a role model, a mentor, innovator, elder, family man, and respected resident of Inuvik, the Beaufort-Delta, and the North. Otto Binder was born in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. During the 1940s and '50s, he herded reindeer at Reindeer Station. He met his wife Ellen Pulk, daughter of Sami herders who brought the reindeer to the Mackenzie Delta region in the 1930s.
In the early 1950s, Otto moved his family to Aklavik where he began working as a game warden so that his children can receive an education. Soon after, he became an RCMP special constable, a job that made use of his knowledge of the land and his fluency in Inuvialuqtun. Otto's role as a special constable helped bridge the gap between the Inuvialuit and the police, and his presence in the RCMP helped other Northerners like Gerry Kisoun and many others, see the benefit of becoming a special constable. After around 25 years in the RCMP, Otto retired and worked as a barge captain on the Mackenzie River for a decade before retiring to spend time back on the land. The Binder Family reacquired the reindeer herd in 2001. Otto would help his son Lloyd out occasionally during the winter until he was 85, then continued to provide advice. Lloyd mentioned that like many of his generation, he preferred to remain active into his last decade. It was difficult to become housebound. Otto continued to live a remarkable life surrounded by his family and friends.
I had the honour of presenting Otto with a plaque on his ninetieth birthday during my first term as an MLA. Afterwards, every time I saw Otto, he'd always give me words of encouragement and support when I saw him about the work that's being done in this House. Otto passed away peacefully in his home in Inuvik on Thursday, February 25, at the age of 93. He will be greatly missed by many Northerners as well as people in the circumpolar region of the world. There will be a service held this Saturday in Inuvik. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his friends. Quanani. Masi cho.
