Mr. Speaker, today Mr. Ralph Ritcey will receive the Order of Canada for his commitment to education and the Inuit of Canada.
As superintendent of education for the federal department of northern affairs, Mr. Ritcey was dedicated to making sure Inuit could pursue further education in the south.
When I left my home of Arviat to finish high school in Ottawa, I was fortunate to meet Mr. Ritcey and be one of those touched by his work. For Inuit to leave their home to seek education in the south was often hard and the time and effort Mr. Ritcey spent in assisting the students helped in making the process easier for many of us.
The efforts of Mr. Ritcey contributed greatly to the creation of Nunavut as many of the leaders benefited from his educational policies.
Nunavut thanks Mr. Ritcey for his passion for education and the care he took of his students. I sincerely congratulate him on his well-deserved Order of Canada.