Thank you for your presentation. This is a really important issue.
I represent the Northwest Territories and I come from a family of eight, all of whom attended residential school. This is not a new issue to us. Half of the Northwest Territories is aboriginal and almost all of the people there are connected somehow to the whole residential school issue that has been getting a lot of attention in the last while. In the Northwest Territories we probably have the most people who attended residential school per capita. This is an issue that is still very recent in our history and society. A lot of people who went to school, like me, are still alive and still around, but we also have children of people who went to school who are struggling with issues and the fallout and some of the dilemmas resulting from the residential schools.
We're looking with a lot of interest at the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We're hoping that they will improve the quality of living in our communities and start moving us forward to allow us to build healthier communities, build healthy people, and deal with our many social ills that are challenging us. I'm glad that we are looking at a centre that would serve as a permanent resource for all Canadians.
I'm not clear how we decided where it's going to be located and how the governing circle is going to be made up of seven people. You mentioned that you're going to have partners. I'm not familiar with your partners and how it was decided that Winnipeg would host the national centre.