Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Among the other things which are happening in our city this week, up to 20 dog mushers, their dog teams and handlers are converging on Yellowknife to compete in the classic 150 mile Canadian championship dog derby. Teams may come from the United States, Alaska, Yukon, the provinces and from many parts of our territory to compete for over $30,000 in prizes and prestigious trophies.

The Canadian championship dog derby started more than three decades ago with trappers gathering to compete on Yellowknife Bay, and racing out to the sub-islands in fairly primitive trails by today's standards. What first started out as a friendly get together to celebrate the coming of spring and to show off the strength and stamina of both dogs and their owners, has evolved into a world class event and specialized racing dogs. Yellowknife is still unique in the world of dog team racing. Few races of this class, in Canada or the United States, can boast of the stamina which is required given the overall distance and weather conditions, three heats of 50 miles a day for a total of 150 miles. Most other races across North America are anywhere from five to 20 miles and are usually held over a two day period. Only the world championship held at The Pas in Manitoba is 150 miles long and held over three days. Mr. Speaker, our NWT mushers are indeed world class in this sport. I would like to recognize their contribution to this traditional Metis sport and to the pride of the Northwest Territories in this sport.