Debates of August 16, 2007 (day 11)

Topics
Statements

Member’s Statement On Support For Families Affected By Tragedy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to pay honour to the people in Fort Good Hope in the Sahtu region. From time to time, with our people across the Northwest Territories, it’s time to stop, put the issues aside and reflect inside our hearts. Today, the people of Fort Good Hope have organized themselves, with the support of many wonderful people in our region and across the Northwest Territories, to support families, children, grandparents and the people of the Sahtu for the victims of the plane crash that happened there last year today.

Mr. Speaker, issues that are very important for the Northwest Territories such as my colleagues are speaking on and are talking about today, sometimes in our communities those issues are put aside and we look at the real human issues of how to support these young children who lost brothers, uncles, grandparents…One family in Fort Good Hope, young children, lost their mother and their father; the father to the plane crash and the mother to cancer. The parents are gone and these children are orphans. The system sometimes has to play a role to take care of them.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, we put aside these difficult issues that we face on a day-to-day basis. As MLAs, we are faced, numerous times throughout our terms, to deal with the real hard issues, the ones that really hit us in the heart and tests our spirit of compassion and for some thought to our children.

I want to thank the Department of Health and Social Services from last year for really supporting the family in Fort Good Hope. I can clearly remember a phone call from the mayor in Fort Smith offering me anything that his community can do to help these families in Fort Good Hope. There were numerous calls across the North, from Hay River to Kugluktuk and right down the valley to help these families.

Honouring them today is a real big thing, especially in Fort Good Hope. There are many good people. And this government too, this government went a long way to help the families. Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the people of Fort Good Hope, to the families and to the young kids who lost their friends, loved ones, brothers or sisters, parents, that we are with them in our prayers today and will continue to be from here on in. Mahsi cho.