Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was indeed a pleasure to host Their Excellencies Mr. Governor General David Johnston and his wife Sharon Johnston here today. I want to say that tomorrow we will have the opportunity to host them in Hay River. We are very excited.
This is a first time in a very long time we have had a Governor General visit Hay River. I can’t tell you how long, but it is a very long time. When they arrive tomorrow, a member of the famous Beck dogsledding family will be taking them out for a dogsled ride. Danny Beck will be taking them out. After that they will go over to the Dene Cultural Institute. They will meet with community leaders there. They will then go to the Chief Lamalice Community Centre for a community feast of traditional foods. They will be able to observe a drum dance, a drum prayer with the elders and the young students there and many other ceremonies that are unique to our neighbours on the K’atlodeeche First Nation.
Then on Saturday they are going to have an opportunity to get up nice and early and take a bombardier ride on Great Slave Lake and attend with Shawn Buckley to pull fish nets on Great Slave Lake. Then we will be treated to fish delicacies after that. Then they will be off to the Hay River Ski Club. It is an exciting day at the ski club on Saturday because it is the Arctic Winter Games biathalon trials. We will have young people there from many different communities competing in that. It is my understanding that Their Excellencies will be fitted with cross-country skis, boots and poles and will actually be going out on a ski with some representatives, some other young representative skiers from our community. Apparently, they are going to do a two-kilometre ski at the ski club. They’re going to be meeting some youth ambassadors there, one from Fort Smith and Mr. Ty Buchanan from Hay River. They will then attend a community reception at the Hay River Golf Club, which they reactivated and we don’t usually have our golf club really open in the wintertime, but it will be ready to go with some community leaders and this event is open to the public. They’ll be treated to some music, some performing choirs, and they will be able to witness the race start for the Arctic Winter Games biathlon trials and the awards ceremony.
So it will be a very, very full and busy visit to Hay River, but we are so delighted to have them come there and I wanted to just point out that there are two opportunities for the public to be involved. One on the K’atlodeeche First Nation at the complex.
Sorry; could I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement, please?
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, colleagues, and thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, so there are two opportunities for the public to participate. One across on the reserve and then at the ski club. Also that event is open to the public.
Mr. Bouchard and I will depart early tomorrow morning to be there to receive Their Excellencies when they arrive in Hay River, so we won’t be able to join you in the House tomorrow, but we are very pleased, and honoured and excited to be having them visit our community starting tomorrow. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe. Mr. Beaulieu.
