Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague Mr. Bouchard has already spoken about the Arctic Winter Games bid for the South Slave and has done a very good job in describing that, but I thought I would add my voice to that again here in the House today.
Hay River and Fort Smith are in competition for a bid to bring the 2018 Arctic Winter Games to the Northwest Territories South Slave region. One of the hardest working volunteers, Greg Rowe, is the chair of the bid committee, along with a number of Hay River residents who put their heart and soul into impressing the Arctic Winter Games Committee who visited Hay River a few weeks ago.
The fun started with a huge pep rally at the Don Stewart Arena where Steve Campbell and Eddie Smith were again Hay River’s gracious hosts for the evening. The arena was filled with volunteers, business people, family and sports fans all cheering for Hay River and Fort Smith as the committee entered the arena and walked the red carpet to the stage. It was a night of cheering, entertaining and showing off what Hay River and Fort Smith have to offer.
With music blasting and lights flashing, Hay River volunteers entertained the committee, showing a video of sports in Hay River, a video of a skidoo stunt by Curtis King and a personal video message from our very own Brendan Green.
Following the pep rally, many people attended the dinner at the Ptarmigan Inn in honour of the Arctic Winter Games Selection Committee. This was another opportunity to impress the judges with videos describing infrastructure in both communities and a message from Chief Roy Fabian, who offered the use of the nice facilities on the Hay River Reserve, as well, during the Games. His Worship Andrew Cassidy, mayor of Hay River, and His Worship Brad Brake, mayor of Fort Smith, were both eager to spread the good word that we are ready for the Games to be held in the South Slave.
Hay River has hosted the Games before when the town joined then Pine Point in 1978. The 2018 Games would mark 40 years since Hay River last held the event, and we are ready, willing and able to do it again.
I was there 40 years ago when we had the Games and the emblem was the inuksuk. I remember I built this really awful inuksuk in my front yard out of concrete blocks. But anyway, it wasn’t very artistic.
Mr. Speaker, there were countless volunteers who dedicated many hours preparing the bid proposal as well as entertaining the Arctic Winter Games Committee and organizing the events. I’d like to thank all of those people for their time and enthusiasm, and thank you to the emcees and the volunteers who worked on the pep rally. Also, a special thanks to the Arctic Winter Games Bid Committee and all their volunteers.
Mr. Speaker, we are now awaiting, with our fingers crossed, to hear that we have been the bid that has been accepted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
