Yellowknife, Tuesday, June 20, 2006

I am delighted to be here to launch construction on Bailey House. I was filled with admiration as I learned that we are breaking ground on a shelter that will bear the name of Mr. and Mrs. Bailey who, for many years, opened their home to the homeless and helped them to get back on their feet again.

Their generosity is a shining example of the compassion we readily associate with today’s Canada.

We have the opportunity to live in a prosperous country where each and every one of us can participate fully in improving the lives of our fellow citizens. It is so important for us to reach out to those most in need, those working through a difficult period or trying to find their place in the sun.

A society that leaves no one in want is a more human society that values equal opportunity. And a society that values equal opportunity is a fairer society.

With this project, you are proof positive that we are all winners when we give those in need the tools to improve their situation and in turn, to contribute to the betterment of us all.

There are so many reasons why some of us may turn to the streets, alone and hopeless. But there are as many reasons why we must respond quickly to those cries for help, reasons that are vital to our shared future. No one here today wants to live in a community that would remain indifferent to the suffering of those around us.

Thank you to the members of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition for reminding us of this with such determination and compassion.