Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I'm not sure what to do because I'm not used to going second, or third.
Madam Speaker, I want to end this week on a positive note therefore I am going to talk about the Kole Crook Fiddle Association and the positive impact it has on youth in the NWT.
Madam Speaker, if you are from anywhere in the Northwest Territories, I would expect that you know the legacy left behind by Kole Crook. Along with his big smile and zest for life, his legacy was his love for the fiddle and entertaining.
Madam Speaker, I personally had the privilege of knowing Kole, and I still remember the last time I saw him. It was years ago in Fort Simpson and, in typical Kole fashion, with his fiddle and duffle bag, he was standing on the side of the highway, with his big smile, thumbing a ride back to Hay River.
Madam Speaker, in Kole's memory, the Kole Crook Fiddle Association was born. It is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides music opportunities and youth leadership through use of the fiddle and music. Kole's legacy, through the Kole Crook Fiddle Association, has spurred a whole new generation of young and old fiddlers alike. Madam Speaker, the Kole Crook Fiddle Association is a medium through which to promote and preserve the northern style of fiddling that was taken away from many by the residential school system. To accomplish this revival, and as part of Truth and Reconciliation, qualified instructors travel throughout the NWT to expose youth to this traditional style and method of teaching. Madam Speaker, many youth, throughout the NWT, travel to attend and participate in events such as the upcoming fiddle and music jamboree in Fort Simpson this coming January which, without financial support from this government may not happen. For those that participate at such events, each has prepared by spending countless hours of instruction time, both in person and virtually. As each event nears, the excitement felt by those young people is electrifying when they hit the stage and perform. It is priceless when you see their faces light up.
Madam Speaker, the goals of the association are met through ongoing fundraising, community and government support. This fundraising activity and support has allowed the association to lend out musical instruments and have instructors, such as the famous Linda Duford from Hay River, and others, to travel to places such as Fort Smith, Hay River, Enterprise, Fort Simpson, Tulita, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope and Deline, where many students have now taken up the fiddle. In the coming years they are hoping to expand the number of communities and students they can reach. Thank Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Members' statements. Member for Great Slave.
