Mr. Speaker, today I am honoured to rise in the House to recognize a local teacher, Belinda Daniels, a passionate spokesperson for her people, language, and culture. Belinda Daniels is a Nehiyaw. This important fact must be respected as we speak about her.
Recently, Ms. Daniels was nominated as one of the 50 finalists worldwide and the only Canadian finalist for the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, long considered to be the Nobel Prize for teaching. A teacher at Mount Royal Collegiate in Saskatoon West, Ms. Daniels has been a positive force in transforming the lives of her many students, teaching colleagues, and many others by developing and delivering indigenous language immersion camps over the past 10 years.
All levels of government should take immediate action on the TRC recommendations, and La Loche is a poignant reminder of how urgently we need to act on these recommendations. Ms. Daniels has shown us a way forward that is respectful, effective, relevant, and transformative.
Please join me in recognizing Ms. Daniels' achievement as a Varkey Foundation finalist and for her work on the front lines of healing and hope for indigenous peoples in my community.