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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to remind Members of the funding made available by the Department of Health and Social Services supporting the delivery of community-based programs focused on mental wellness and addiction recovery.

These funds were created in response to engagement with Indigenous governments in which they asked the GNWT to provide more flexible funding that could be used to run programs in their own communities and regions that would be responsive to the needs of Indigenous people.

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Mr. Speaker, developing regulations for the Mineral Resources Act is one of the key commitments from the Government of the Northwest Territories to support responsible resource development. This Act represents a new chapter for our mining sector, setting the stage for modernization and shared prosperity for residents, indigenous governments, and our industry partners.

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Mr. Speaker, the 2023 wildfire season was the most challenging ever experienced in the Northwest Territories, and the largest and most impactful in Canada. Driven by severe drought conditions, record-breaking temperatures and periods of extreme wind conditions, both the fire behaviour and fire environment were unlike anything our most experienced firefighters have seen before.

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Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to address the Northwest Territories Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists at their annual professional development symposium. The theme for this year’s symposium was Building a Resilient North, which underscores a collective commitment to overcoming challenges and fostering innovative solutions for a sustainable future for residents. Today, I want to highlight the pivotal role that strategic infrastructure plays in securing the future prosperity of the Northwest Territories.

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Mr. Speaker, art is powerful and art is beautiful, but it is far more than a thing of beauty. Art is a personal, local, and global connector. It connects people to themselves, to one another, and to people living across the world. Further, it connects us to culture, land, and Elders and is critical to our well-being and to our shared and individual histories. Art is a conduit of healing. Art is foundational to how we educate our children, preserve traditions, feed community wellness, and build a strong and independent territory.

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Mr. Speaker, today marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The landing at Normandy was a turning point of the second world war. As Premier, and as a Canadian, I honour the sacrifice of all those who served in this war, the ultimate sacrifice of all those who lost their lives in the conflict, and the memory of the veterans who have passed on in the years since.

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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to update you on crucial improvements to the Northwest Territories Income Assistance program.

In July, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment will introduce a new, targeted Income Assistance program for seniors and persons with disabilities. These anticipated changes, first announced last year, are ready to roll out across the territory next month.

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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the 5th anniversary of the release of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Final Report describes the dire situation faced by Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people as genocide, and delivers 231 Calls for Justice directed at governments, institutions, social service providers, industries, and all Canadians.