Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On Saturday, May 27, 1995, a particularly proud moment for northerners occurred that I wish to share with Members. At the annual Sport North awards banquet held that evening, one of our outstanding sport teams received their rightful recognition and reward. Many of us have followed the media accounts of the plight of our Canada Games women's biathlon relay team.
At the Canada Games in Grande Prairie last February, the team skied and shot as a team at the highest levels to finish their relay race a close fourth, just behind Team Quebec. To finish that close behind such provinces as Quebec and Alberta was a demonstration of the excellence of the performance of these young ladies.
During the race, Team Quebec had been "paced" by their coaches. Pacing is the practice of running alongside competitors to encourage and assist them. This practice is clearly illegal under Biathlon Canada rules and calls for a team's disqualification. Team NWT coach, Patti-Kay Hamilton, with the encouragement of other coaches and our own NWT mission staff, filed a protest with the games jury.
The games jury's final decision: Quebec coaches had indeed been pacing their athletes, but instead of the automatic disqualification of the team, which would have given the bronze medals to Team NWT, the games jury ruled that Quebec should only be reprimanded. Team Quebec was allowed to keep their bronze medals.
Mr. Speaker, we take great pride in the good sportsmanship and fair play that our NWT athletes demonstrate at national events. Our women's biathlon relay team demonstrated character and sportsmanship in the face of the unjust decision by the Canada Games jury. Mr. Speaker, many of us felt it was simply not enough to tell these three young ladies that they should satisfy themselves with this decision.
There have been three months of intense and persistent pressure brought to bear on the Canada Games Council to review and reverse this decision. Many letters and interventions have been made on behalf of the team. I directly contacted the president of the Canada Games Council, as did others.
At the Sport North awards banquet, the Canada Games Council's decision was announced, co-awarding the bronze medal to the NWT women's biathlon relay team. The medals, along with a statement from the council, were presented to the team that evening.
Mr. Speaker, justice has been done. We have shown that it is right to compete in the true spirit of sportsmanship and fair play and that our athletes can be rewarded for fair and honest competition.
I am extremely proud to congratulate our only medal-winning team from the 1995 Canada Winter Games. I am sure Members will join me in providing richly deserved recognition to: Judy Goodzek; Mary Beth Miller; Moria Green; and coaches, Patti-Kay Hamilton and Pat Bobinski. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause