Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have some questions today for the Minister responsible for sport. With Arctic Winter Games coming up and with the Olympics on, it’s a good time for me to ask some questions about the sports that were left out of the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. It was quite a controversy last year and I know there has been some work that has been ongoing.
I would like to ask Minister McLeod if he could provide an update on arrangements for competitions for the six, I think it is, sports – I can’t remember the exact number – that were left out of the Arctic Winter Games International Committee decision to be in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. We are very disappointed that these sports were left out of the 2016 Games that are going to be taking place in Greenland. I have been working with my territorial colleagues and other partner jurisdictions and Ministers. We have come up with a plan to have an alternate event for the sports that were excluded. We are just working on the details now. One of our partner jurisdictions has volunteered themselves as a location, so we’re just working out the details now. We are hoping to have something to report back to our territorial sport organizations and Members of the Assembly as soon as we get that information and get it all confirmed. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister for that. The Minister has said that a location has been identified; it may not be confirmed.
I would like to ask the Minister if all the sports are going to be able to be in one location, whatever that location is, or are they going to be in several locations in 2016. Thank you.
We have heard from all sport organizations in the NWT that were excluded from 2016 and their preference was to have all the sports in one location to give them that opportunity to compete together. We had another location that was probably willing to step forward, but one of the excluded sports would not have been included in that particular venue. This location, we are anticipating that all six sports that were eliminated will be able to compete in one area. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thanks to the Minister and I’m really glad to hear that because I know full well that it’s not the same when everybody is not together, so I’m very glad that that’s a high priority.
We allocate money through our budgets for Arctic Winter Games and Canada Games and so on. In terms of the 2016 Games for these sports that are not covered under our allocation of funds for the Arctic Winter Games, will the cost of those games be covered for these athletes? Will they be paying the same amount as if they went to the Arctic Winter Games themselves? Will that be covered through our budget and the other jurisdictions’ budgets? Thank you.
That is our intent, to try to cover off the cost of these games through our multi-sport line item budget if there is money left. We intend not to pass on the cost to the athletes. They would be paying their normal cost such as their registration. We are working hard with our other jurisdiction partners to see how we can work this out. We don’t know the exact details yet if there’s an opportunity for us to come back to this House to seek additional funding for that. That’s something we will work on and we will inform Members of that as we proceed. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Final supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Madam Speaker. Thanks to the Minister. I am really glad to hear that we are looking at making things as equal for these sports that aren’t part of the Arctic Winter Games as possible.
My last ask of the Minister would be, when details are a little more firm, when the location is determined and when costing perhaps has been figured out, if the Minister would provide an update to Members maybe by e-mail or letter or something just to keep us up to date.
I would be pleased to do that. We should have additional details after we meet in Fairbanks during the Arctic Winter Games that are taking place next month. There will be an opportunity there to meet with my colleagues from other jurisdictions. We should have the details ironed out a bit more and once we do have that, I do intend on informing the territorial sport organizations as well as Members of this House. I will be providing regular updates. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
