Honourable members of the committee, I want to thank you for the invitation to appear before you today.
Currently I serve as reeve for the Saskatchewan Rural Municipality of Beaver River No. 622. Our municipality is the most northerly of the organized municipalities along Saskatchewan's western border with Alberta. We are located in close proximity to the 4 Wing Canadian Forces base in Cold Lake. I also serve as chair of the North of Divide Community Association, a progressive and cooperative partnership of five urban and three rural municipalities promoting positive growth and common goals for a thriving, safe, stable, and sustainable region.
In contemplating the circumstances that bring me before you this afternoon, I conclude that the RM's letter of November 2010, sent to your attention, was significant. I can assure you that this letter was significant to RM council and represents their genuine concern and support for your important review.
In my preparations for today's address, I recalled the words of Alberta family and youth courts judge Herb Allard, who was recently interviewed on CBC radio and said, “I'm tired of opinion from people who have never been through the courtroom door”. Then, as I was preparing for this, I also came upon similar words from Judge Allard in writing: “I never saw one of them in my court. I was a judge for 36 years and I never saw one of them, ever, in my court”.
I must admit that I would be among those who would contribute to Justice Allard's tired state, but I trust that my council's keen interest in and concern for safe, viable communities, together with a positive relationship with our local RCMP detachment—