Mr. Speaker, these days we hear a lot about youth crime and youth unemployment but
what we do not often hear about are the successes. We do not often celebrate the fact that when Canadian young people are given a chance they can go on to achieve great things.
The Dawson City, Yukon, Stay in School Program is one such success story. Under the dedicated direction of school counsellor, Mr. Jim Johnston, the dropout rate has declined from 40 per cent to 1 per cent in three years.
The federal government has ended funding for this program in Dawson City, Yukon. The government says that it wants to tackle unemployment. One of the best ways is for our young people to get a good education.
In the name of the young people in the Yukon territory and in Canada I urge the government to reinstate funding for the Stay in School Program in Dawson City, Yukon.