Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
NORTHERN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COUNCILS AGM AND TRADE SHOW
Canad Inns Polo Park
Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, 9:15 p.m.
(please check against delivery)
Leaders, volunteers and builders of community, it’s a pleasure to join you today to celebrate dedication to Manitoba’s northern communities.
I acknowledge that today we are gathered on Treaty 1 territory and in the homeland of the Red River Metis and that the communities represented here today from across Manitoba’s east, west and north, are located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene and Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation. And I acknowledge that northern Manitoba includes lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
As Manitobans, we respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
Building a better Manitoba, for all its people, includes ensuring that all communities, regardless of size or location, have access to health, education, housing and other community services.
And that has been the mission of the Northern Association of Community Councils since 1970.
The unique challenges of transportation and environment faced by northern communities require a group like yours to share expertise and resources and amplify your voices.
Your advocacy on everything from food security to internet access addresses the specific needs of 48 communities spread across a vast area of our beautiful province.
I’m pleased that today I will join you in celebrating the special spirit found in close-knit communities that share a connection to the land and water. NACC Community Service Awards celebrate women and men for their dedication to others.
In any healthy community – northern or southern, large or small – a network of leaders and volunteers is needed to build and support local resources, preserve and pass on knowledge, identify problems, find solutions, and weave a web of connections among community members.
I am pleased to have the chance to recognize individuals whose energy, expertise and commitment makes Manitoba’s northern communities healthier, more resilient and more vibrant.
To today’s award recipients and to all who strengthen the NACC, congratulations and thank you.
May your dedication bear fruit in your home towns and across our province.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom
