Tributes – The Honourable Charlie Watt
Charlie, it is a long time that you’ve served in this Senate, since 1984, but you never forgot your roots. You never forgot the North; you never forgot where you came from and the kind of work you did even before you arrived. In business and in communities, you were a true leader.
And when you came here, that’s what you focused on, more than anything. In the time that I’ve been here, much less than your time, I recall how passionately you’ve argued for full participation of the Inuit people in decisions about the North, about their land and about the sea that is so important to them. The mapping project, which we had at open caucus on a couple of occasions, was a good demonstration of the roots that people have from your community in those areas.
The personal stories that I remember you telling about how you saw the ice changing and the climate change impact in the North are very valuable for all of us here in Parliament to understand and to hear from your voice.
Of course, the Arctic Committee has been established and will now continue the work that you have done, while you go back to doing some work that you started when you founded the Makivik Corporation. Now you’ll get an opportunity to go back and do that good stuff again.
Charlie, you are doing what you think is right; I think you’re doing what you think is right. I wish you, your family and all your friends well as you begin the next stage of your life, a return to the North