Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The first Canada Games was hosted in Quebec City in 1967 where 1,800 athletes came together to participate in sport. Today, as we speak, 2,700 competitors from 800 Canadian communities are taking part in 20 sporting events at the Canada Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to encourage and support our athletes and volunteers who attend this event representing their home communities and the Northwest Territories.
In addition to being an unforgettable experience for our athletes, the Canada Games are an important component in the development of high performance athletes. Mr. Speaker, at the Vancouver Olympics last year, 63 percent of the Canadian athletes who won medals had competed previously at the Canada Games. Our athletes are living their dream at the Canada Games and I would like to name the Hay River participants who are in Halifax this week: Gavin Broadhead, hockey; Connor Goudreau, hockey; Carter Hill, hockey; Mason Bruneau, judo; Ilona Gyapay, cross-country skiing; Skylar Horton, badminton; Joseph Lirette, biathlon; mission staff Stephen MacKay; our hockey coach, Curtis Broadhead; and biathlon coaches Doug Swallow and Chuck Lirette.
Mr. Speaker, in closing I would like to quote one of Hay River’s promising young athletes, Joseph Lirette, who has been training and competing for seven years. He is a lifelong Northerner and is 17 years old. On the Canada Games official website each athlete has a participant’s page where they can post their biography and comments. In response to the question to athletes, what will you bring to the Halifax 2011 Canada Games, Joseph Lirette’s answer is: “I will bring a desire to represent the NWT with pride and to race well in a national level competition.” This is an amazing example of the fine young athletes we have representing us at these games. I congratulate all of our participants and wish them the best of luck at the games, and, yes, we are very proud of you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
