I just wanted to add my voice, rising on behalf of the Liberal Party, to also tribute our nurses during National Nursing Week — just maybe with a little bit of a rural flare.

The Yukon nursing community is a very strongly dedicated group, and the rural nurses are absolutely no exception to that rule. We’ve talked about our specialist nurses having to work, travel and see patients in many different communities each week, and we’ve had other folks talk about these schedules and how hard it must be. They often go well above and beyond the expectations of their jobs because they want to see results — because they are part of the community — and they want to ensure the well-being of those who they care for. Our nurses are compassionate, passionate and empathetic, and I believe that this is why they are at the root of a collaborative model of health care.

I just want to say, as a math teacher who also had to teach sex education in rural communities, I was very, very grateful to have the nurses come into my classroom. Nurse Walker Graham would come in with — you name it. He had all of the sponges, spermicides and condoms. I tell you — it’s so great to have somebody from the medical community who comes out, past their job description, to talk with kids because there are so many conversations that have to be had between the nurses and our youth.

Again, I just want to say how important that is and how much I’m thankful for the nurses in the rural communities for that.

As we recognize National Nursing Week, I just want to say a big thank you to all of Yukon’s nurses and to the Yukon Registered Nurses Association as well for providing the backbone of our health care system.