Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take a moment today to congratulate two of my constituents, Alina and Henry McKay of Fort Resolution, for celebrating 60 years of marriage. Their lives first crossed path on the ice rink in Peter Pond School in 1961 where Alina skated as often as she could. On that day, on April 9th to be exact, Henry happened by and the two met for the first time. She fondly remembered how his skates were too big. From that point on, their both bonds grew, and they were married three years later. At first, they spent years on the land trapping before working at Pine Point. Alina got her GED after moving back to Fort Resolution. And after her children grew up, she worked as a cook in many different capacities in town and most recently opened her own takeout business with Henry. Henry retired in 2009. Henry, meanwhile, was a firefighter and worked at the sawmill until it burnt down. Now, after many struggles and hard times, they have six children together though the oldest, Henry Junior, is sadly deceased. They are also gifted with 19 grandchildren, though two have passed away, and 12 grandchildren.
I join my colleagues in wishing this entire the entire best and know that Henry still has yet to own a pair of skates that fits. Throughout their lives, they remained active hunters and trappers. They have won Senior Trappers awards, both together and separately, multiple times. Together, they won the Active Elders award in 2019, and Henry also received, later on the award from Deninu Kue First Nation recognition of his contribution and dedication and preservation of a betterment of the Treaty 8 community for the Akaitcho territory government.
Here's to their loving marriage and if anyone has a spare size spare skates, size 10, please let me know and I'll get it to him. Mr. Speaker, I just want to wish Henry and Alina a Happy 60th Anniversary. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member from Tu NedheWiilideh. My best to them, 60th Anniversary.
Members' statements. Member from Slave Lake.
