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Mr. Speaker, the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards program was developed in 1991 as a way to recognize outstanding volunteers and highlight the importance of volunteerism in NWT communities.  Today I want to congratulate everyone nominated for the 2021 NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards, and to share some of the incredible achievements of the award winners. 

We received a total of 23 nominations this year, including three in the Elder category, six in the Group category, 12 in the Individual category, and two in the Youth category. Mr. Speaker, each of these nominations are noteworthy on their own, but I do want to highlight the contributions of the award winners. I am pleased to announce the recipients of the NWT Outstanding Volunteer awards for 2021 are:

• Outstanding Elder Award              – Margaret Henderson
• Outstanding Youth Award             – Madison Pilling
• Outstanding Individual Award       – Kurtis Sheane
• Outstanding Group Award            – Edward and Bertha Landry

Mr. Speaker, Margaret Henderson has been a volunteer at Food Rescue Yellowknife since 2008. She has been instrumental in the development of the Food Rescue board structure and has served as a board member herself for many years. She has volunteered at all levels of Food Rescue’s operations and acted as a liaison between Food Rescue and food contributors in Yellowknife. She currently acts as a volunteer kitchen manager and helps run the day-to-day operations. Margaret’s compassion, organizational skills, outreach, and leadership have contributed greatly to the high regard in which Food Rescue is thought of in the Yellowknife community and beyond. As part of the winning this award, Margaret received $1000 to donate to an organization of her choice; she chose Food Rescue. Congratulations Margaret and thank you for your contributions.

The 2021 Outstanding Volunteer in the Youth category is Madison Pilling. Madison has been an active volunteer in Fort Simpson for many years. She has a passion and love for speed skating, hockey, golf, and curling. She sits on volunteer boards and helps coach and coordinate local events. Madison also spearheaded the first co-ed hockey team in Fort Simpson called the Ice Breakers. Madison has been an active member of the Fort Simpson Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Department for five years. She volunteers her time taking ambulance calls, has demonstrated leadership qualities in her involvement with the department, and this year became the department’s training officer. She also volunteers around the community by assisting with youth programming, grade 12 graduation, and using social media to promote local Indigenous art and tourism in the Dehcho Region. Madison received $1000 to donate to an organization of her choice; she chose the Hay River Animal Shelter. Congratulations Madison Pilling and thank you for your contributions.

This year the award for the 2021 Outstanding Volunteer in the Individual category is Kurtis Sheane. Kurtis has been an invaluable volunteer in Hay River for many years. He has made and served food to hundreds of community members and provided one-on-one support to members of the vulnerable sector through peer support, and access to local services. Kurtis offers food delivery to local elders and assists them in getting to and from medical appointments. As well, he offers youth mentorship and managed the homeless shelter in Hay River. He goes above and beyond to provide support to the vulnerable sector in Hay River and has helped improve the lives of hundreds of people. His tireless commitment to the members of his community means that he is the person who is called in the middle of the night for help, and he has proven time and again that he is willing to lend a hand to those in need. Kurtis received $1000 to donate to an organization of his choice; he chose the Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities. Congratulations Kurtis Sheane and thank you for your contributions.

Finally, Edward and Bertha Landry are the recipients of the 2021 Outstanding Volunteer Award in the Group category. Edward and Bertha started the Fort Providence Minor Hockey Group many years ago in an effort to bring hockey to the youth of Fort Providence. Together they organize fundraisers for the Minor Hockey Group and reach out to local businesses and organizations for support. They work to get parents in the community involved with the group and have made great efforts to get hockey equipment delivered to the community so that all kids are able to play. Edward and Bertha spend an exceptional amount of time and work together to overcome challenges that often act as barriers to youth participation in smaller communities. They act as chaperones when the group travels for tournaments, and frequently offer financial support to make these out-of-town trips possible for children from Fort Providence. Edward and Bertha received $1,000 to donate to an organization of their choice; they chose Fort Providence Minor Hockey. Thank you for your contributions, and congratulations, Edward and Bertha Landry.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate  all of the individuals receiving an award this year, and to everyone else that has been nominated, congratulations and thank you for your dedication. I also want to thank everyone who submitted a nomination this year.  

I would  like to remind everyone that nominations for NWT Outstanding Volunteer awards are open year-round. Please encourage your constituents to submit nominations at any time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.