Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Fort Severn First Nation from the great Kenora riding.
For six years, Fort Severn First Nation has worked in collaboration with the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute and faculty members from Lakehead University. It led an ongoing research project on the preservation of polar bears and our cohabitation with them, as both have shared the land together on the shores of Hudson's Bay since time immemorial.
Two years ago, Fort Severn's work was recognized by then Minister of the Environment, Jim Prentice, and took its rightful place at the Polar Bear Forum in Winnipeg to present its key findings. In January, Chief Matthew Kakekaspan of Fort Severn was invited to speak at the Polar Worlds International Conference in Paris, France.
I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Fort Severn First Nation on this great achievement and recognition of Cree knowledge by the international community for its valuable research. It is just another example of what is so great about the great Kenora riding.