Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable senators, in 2018, the Municipality of Cambridge Bay created the From Scrap to Art welding program. Through conversations and planning between the municipality, the RCMP, the Department of Justice and the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, the program was developed as a means of addressing the needs of the at-risk youth in the community.

The majority of youth are brought into the program as a last-chance opportunity before being sent to jail. This program focuses on welding taught by a Red Seal certified journeyman welder, but it also touches on job readiness and life skills required to help participants succeed beyond the classroom. Teaching touches on literacy, numeracy, problem solving and so much more.

To date, the program enjoys the highest attendance rate of any educational program in Nunavut, according to the Nunavut Department of Family Services, and every single participant has remained out of jail and incident-free. In fact, I was delighted to learn that every single one of the participants is either gainfully employed — including three working at the new Goose Lake mine with B2Gold and one participant working for the program itself as the welding assistant — or working on furthering their education.

The program has had positive effects on the environment, having transformed over 700 barrels previously cluttering up the community landfill into art since the program’s inception. Last week, the Redfish Arts Society Inc. was formed as Nunavut’s newest non-profit organization, founded on the idea that youth can achieve great things and be inspired if they are given the opportunity and provided guidance and a safe space to express themselves. Their goal is to build upon and grow this program by securing long-term, stable funding and eventually offering the model in Nunavut communities beyond just Cambridge Bay.

I would like to congratulate the inaugural board: Chairperson Attima Hadlari, Vice-chair Dr. David Hik, and board members Dmitri Malakhov, Melissa Lawson and Dr. Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich. I also want to voice my sincere appreciation for Mr. Mark Slatter, the Executive Director of Red Fish Arts Studio and program instructor.

Thank you to all of you for your dedication to improving the lives of youth in your community and beyond.

Qujannamiik. Koana. Taima.