Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask several Ministers, but I think I am going to zero in on the Minister of ITI on this question here. Mr. Speaker, I think the ministerial statement here on diamonds and tourism in Canada’s Northern House statement, I want to ask the Minister in terms of the promotion of Canada’s North, the golden opportunity in the Olympics, if the Minister had any type of discussion in terms of promoting one of our best kept secrets being the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada in Deline. Even this House passed a motion. I really find it odd that this government here hasn’t been taking this up and score the goal for us in terms of the Olympics here. I want to ask the Minister is this something that he would look at or is it too late, game is over and we can’t throw this on the table in terms of promoting the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is not too late to promote Deline as the birthplace of hockey because the Olympics haven’t started yet. Perhaps he can start tomorrow when he visits Canada’s Northern House and getting that message out. I think he would be impressed with Northern House and a message that we are delivering to the world. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I certainly look forward to the invitation from the Minister to go down to the Olympics. I will certainly do the invitation with the Minister in terms of promoting the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada at the Olympics. I want to note the Minister then would work with me in terms of when we have this promotion in Vancouver to display one of the most hidden secrets of the Northwest Territories or in Canada in terms of promoting hockey in the North. Would the Minister then work with me in terms of how we coordinate an event that would showcase the world that the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada is in Deline in the Sahtu region?
Mr. Speaker, we have been using Canada’s Northern House as the opportunity to publicize the North as a great place to live, work and invest in. Certainly promoting the spectacular Northwest Territories and all the different opportunities, and if there is some way we can promote the birthplace of hockey as a way to entice people to come and visit the Northwest Territories, we are quite interested in that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister is correct that the Olympics are going to start soon. I was very surprised that this… I am very happy that we could have this opportunity to promote the birthplace of ice hockey in Deline down at the Olympics. I want to again ask the Minister in terms of putting some small display in terms of shirts and maybe even, I don’t know if it is too late to invite some of the original hockey players, if that is possible. Invite some of the descendents of the hockey players from Deline in terms of promoting this historical event that happened in Canada. Would the Minister have some type of special concentrated specific time that we could promote the birthplace of ice hockey in Canada?
We are intending to keep Canada’s Northern House open until early April and so when we go to Vancouver on Thursday, we can talk to some of our creative design team to see if we can develop something that can be exhibited at Canada’s Northern House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister then look at the possibility of working with the community of Deline in terms of possibly looking at something that could be, they can add into the design or to the celebration at the place in Vancouver in terms of celebrating the birthplace of ice hockey in that community so the community can also celebrate with this government here?
As the Member knows, there are several communities in Canada that are claiming to be the birthplace of ice hockey as well as some places in England. I think the biggest help would be in being able to validate the fact that Deline is the birthplace of hockey. Certainly we can talk about that with our creative design team. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
