Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, over the next few days NWT youth, their coaches and chaperones will be packing their bags, gathering their sports equipment and boarding planes to travel to Grande Prairie, Alberta, for the 2010 Winter Games. This event, held every two years in the circumpolar region, is the Olympics of the North and the opening ceremonies will be held this Sunday evening.
For the last several years, thousands of NWT young people have been learning new skills, training hard to get and stay in shape and practising their sport diligently in preparation for next week’s competitions.
Involvement in sports and recreation activities can have a profound effect on young people and it’s well known that they benefit mentally, psychologically, physically and economically from being physically active. Youth who are physically active are far healthier than those who are not. They generally live a healthier lifestyle and are less likely to abuse alcohol or drugs and often do better in school. Lessons are learned through competitive physical activity; lessons which have a positive impact on the developing character of a young person. I have no doubt that every one of our Arctic Winter Games team have benefited from their involvement in sport.
I consider myself a jock, Mr. Speaker. I will never shed my love of, or for, sports. It’s given me many opportunities I would otherwise not have had and it’s enriched my life through relationships and unique experiences.
Many of our young people who have participated in the Arctic Winter Games experience to date have experienced local trials and team selections, regional competitions and territorial competitions. They have already benefited from this year’s Arctic Winter Games. For those who were not successful in making Team NWT this year, I say stay in shape, keep training and try again for 2012. It’s only two years away.
To the members of our 2010 Arctic Winter Games Team NWT, athletes, coaches, mission staff, chaperones, parents and other supporters who will be cheering, enjoy your week with old and new friends. Do your best, that’s all we can ask of you. Win or lose, you will have gained tremendously and we will be proud of you. So play hard but fair and do your Territory proud over the next week both on the sports field and off. Go, NWT, go!
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to recognize some 45 athletes who will be travelling to the Arctic Winter Games from my riding...
---Applause
...Mr. Speaker. That includes cultural events such as dancers, such as the Gwich’in Dancers from Aklavik who are led by Annie Buckle, as well as the people who are participating in the Dene Games. We also have Stephanie Charlie who is going to be participating in hockey, which is again breaking the ice to get the athletes from the smaller communities to be involved in the larger teams.
One of the big achievements we had this year was with snowshoeing, biathlon and cross-country skiing where the Hanthorn family, which consists of six individuals, made the NWT Ski Team. Again, it shows that dedication, commitment and also hard work pays off. It shows that small communities can compete in these large events.
The majority of the athletes that are going are in snowshoeing. Mr. Speaker, it shows where there is commitment, volunteering of their parents, the community, their support and the individual who takes the time to put in the effort, make the team and help each other through this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to pass on my support to all the athletes, wish them well and make us proud, realizing that some 45 people representing the Northwest Territories at the Arctic Winter Games are from two of the communities in my riding, Aklavik and Fort McPherson. I am not leaving out Tsiigehtchic where they do have one athlete going for Dene Games.
With that, I would like to wish them all the best and I look forward to seeing all of them in Grande Prairie at the Arctic Winter Games.
