Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the fact that the Yellowknife Ski Club will be hosting the annual Northwest Territories cross-country ski championships on April 1st and 2nd, which is this Saturday and Sunday. They are expecting 90 or more skiers to participate ranging in age from two years to people in our age category, those over 40.

Participants confirmed are from Yellowknife, Snare Lake, Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik. We are also expecting some skiers from Kakisa and hopefully from Fort Providence, Mr.

Speaker. In past events, there have been skiers from Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay.

These skiers will be skiing a distance of up to 20 kilometres. In Saturday's race, we are using the classic technique. In Sunday's race, we are using the free technique. This is the thing that young skiers can do now. They can skate about 19 times as fast as we can ski.

The Yellowknife Ski Club has a race committee consisting of many volunteers who meet to coordinate the various requirements for competitive events. Yellowknife ski trails are considered sufficiently challenging to be able to host national junior level competitions. As well, there are approximately 30 other volunteers out on the ski trails to ensure that the skiers have a good time in fair competition.

The Yellowknife Ski Club has a significant number of volunteers who, through the years, have developed an excellent recreation facility within the city of Yellowknife. During the past few months, a great deal of work has been done to renovate the biathlon range and it recently became operational. Several young people and veteran skiers are now working on improving their skills in this nordic sport.

In addition to activities in Yellowknife, the ski club has also supported the development of cross-country skiing in other communities. Our volunteer coaches have travelled to several communities in the Northwest Territories. Recently, clinics have been held in Snare Lake and Norman Wells. Skiers from Yellowknife have participated in the Canada Games, the western Canadian championships recently hosted by the ski club in La Ronge, Saskatchewan; the national junior championships recently held in Ontario; and, some skiers had the opportunity to attend the recent Nordic World Ski Championships held in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.