Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the athletes, coaches, managers, and mission staff, who will be representing Team NWT at the 2022 Canada Summer Games being held in the Niagara region of Ontario from August 6th to 21st. The Canada Games provides our national highperformance athletes with venues to compete in hopes of continuing their athletic journey to Team Canada for the Olympics or other international events.
Every two years, the Canada Games showcase athletes at the highest level in national competitions, alternating between summer and winter games. The 2022 Canada Summer Games Host Society and the Niagara region will host nearly 5,000 participants, including approximately 135 participants from Team NWT, competing in nine different sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, swimming, tennis, athletics, beach volleyball, and golf.
The COVID19 pandemic altered many aspects of life over the past two and a half years, including sport competitions. In some ways, the Arctic Winter Games, the North American Indigenous Games, and the Canada Summer Games have been impacted.
Recovery from the COVID19 pandemic will take time and will be different for each community and organization. However, events like the Canada Summer Games certainly help our athletes regain the competitiveness that they had prepandemic.
The Government of the Northwest Territories is very proud to support our team at the Canada Summer Games through financial supports and a range of other programs that support athletes, coaches, and officials' development at the local, regional, territorial, and national level.
In addition to Team NWT, MACA is pleased to support the Youth Ambassadors Program once again, which will see us bring youth volunteers to the Canada Summer Games.
The Youth Ambassadors Program offers a guided and structured volunteer experience for youth at major territorial, national, and international events. Participants work to develop their life and job skills, as well as build the confidence necessary to deal with some of life’s challenges.
The program has successfully identified 21 youth from 10 communities who will travel and volunteer at the 2022 Canada Summer Games. We have four participants who have just completed the Youth Ambassador Program, virtual edition, as well as 17 youth who successfully completed the 2019 NWT Youth Ambassadors orientation event but missed out on their volunteer placement due to the cancellation of the games. All youth are between the age of 16 and 22, and they are the role models and leaders of tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish this year’s Youth Ambassadors all the best on this exciting volunteer experience. I would like to recognize the following program leaders for their important work in supporting the Youth Ambassadors: Ashley Gillis, Lauren Modeste, Conan Donahue, Alicia Korol, and Kyle Donavan.
Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the many volunteers who are responsible for supporting Team NWT, including the Sport North Federation, all the territorial sport organizations responsible for selecting and managing the team. Their contributions are significant and an important part of building a healthier Northwest Territories population.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I wish the very best to our Team NWT leaders, the Chef de Mission, Ms. Rita Mercredi, and Assistant Chef de Mission Mr. Damon Crossman, along with the rest of the mission staff, who are responsible for managing Team NWT and all the NWT while at the Canada Summer Games.
Play Fair. Have Fun. I sincerely hope you all enjoy this truly wonderful experience. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Infrastructure.
