I rise on behalf of the Yukon Liberal Party and all of my colleagues to acknowledge the Dawson Film Community. Dawson has become world-renowned with its thriving arts community, due to the support of the community as a whole, but also as the whole of Yukon arts community. We owe very, very much to many artists, both past and present, whose vision and passion for their craft has left a resounding impact on the Klondike.

Dawson has produced accomplished filmmakers. Two in particular I would like to mention are Lulu Keating and Dan Sokolowski, who are often cited by young filmmakers in the community as very strong mentors.

They say that it takes a community to raise a child, but in some cases, it also takes a community to raise a filmmaker. Dawson offers some incredible opportunities for young artists with its vibrant art community — KIAC, DCAS, the Dawson City Short Film Festival — that really help foster creativity. Even yours truly, Mr. Speaker, has produced a film at Dawson’s 24-hour film festival. I would understand why you didn’t hear about it.

Yukon as a whole creates an environment for filmmakers to learn from each other — within the Yukon and those from Outside who come up to the Dawson City film festival and to the Yukon Film Society and YFSC. Let’s be honest, there is no shortage of breathtaking inspiration in the Yukon.

One project in particular that I would like to acknowledge is All the Time in the World by Dr. Suzanne Crocker. At its first ever public screening — the Vancouver International Film Festival — this film won the audience award for most popular Canadian documentary. This is no small feat, as the Vancouver International Film Festival is among the five largest film festivals in North America and one of the world’s largest public exhibitions of new Canadian films. All the Time in the World was created with the support from Telefilm Canada, the Yukon Film Society and the Yukon Film and Sound Commission.

Suzanne Crocker is not new to success. In 2010, her animated short film, Time Lines, won the MITY Award for the best Yukon-made professional short film at the 2010 Dawson City International Short Film Festival and then went on from there to screen other film festivals in North America and in Europe.

All the Time in the World highlights some of the reasons that we choose to make Yukon our home, our ability to get out on the land and our desire to find an alternative to the hectic pace of life in southern Canada. Thank you very much to the film community and thank you very much to Suzanne Crocker for her beautiful documentary.