Good afternoon, everyone. The first time I had the opportunity to meet Michael Squirrel was in August 1987 at a ball tournament he helped organize in Fort Providence. He did an amazing job, and all the teams appreciated the work he did.
This past December, I had the honour of presenting Michael the Community Build Award on behalf of the Aboriginal Sport Circle. I can tell you that Michael has been an active volunteer in the community of Fort Simpson since he and his family moved there. He has dedicated endless hours to building and improving the Beavertail Jamboree Committee over the years. Michael's attitude, willingness and innovative ways of thinking has had a positive impact on the Beavertail Committee and the community. Whatever ideas he has, he is willing to put in the hard work to make it happen. Besides contributing to the Beavertail Jamboree, he assists with Old Timers Hockey and Fort Simpson Slopitch Association.
This past summer he took the initiative to organize a street festival on the main street of Fort Simpson to raise funds for the regional wildfire evacuees and to help distract from the chaos happening in the Northwest Territories. There was live music, many artists, booth of food and product vendors on the street. It was a wellreceived event, and we look forward to more of his creative ideas.
Michael is seen helping with fundraising yearround to ensure the community has positive jamborees. This means giving up some evenings during the week to host bingos for the community and 50/50 draws.
Michael can also be seen at all community events taking photos and showcasing them on social media. It really highlights and reminds us of all the good things happening.
Michael is originally from Fort Providence but currently resides in Fort Simpson where he works and lives with his wife. He is a father of three beautiful daughters. I can tell you he spends a lot of his time on the land practicing his traditional and cultural ways when he is not volunteering. He is an avid hunter, provider, and encourages others to get out on the land. He is a positive role model for our younger generation, and I appreciate his willingness to share knowledge on all the aspects of how committees work and create ideas to attract more participation.
Realizing the time, I would like to ask that the rest of the statement be deemed as read and printed in the Hansard. Thank you, Mr. Clerk.
This summer he sat on the "Shake It Off" ball tournament committee and encouraged all of them to think outside of the box and branch out to other organizations to help in making the event better. He helped organize an Old Timers hockey tournament in the spring because the recreation hockey tournament was about to be cancel. I got to play with him as my defense partner. In true oldtimer fashion, the two of us on the ice made up over 100 years of playing the sport.
Mike has already had such a huge impact on many community members. Often when there is a need to bring the community together, he is willing to make things happen. He often jokes about "what's the next event?" because he's bored or getting antsy. I believe he positively impacts the volunteer community too by embodying the statements of never giving up, keep trying, and to continuously bring people together.
