Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (Translation) I wish to speak today in support of the Arctic Winter Games. (Translation ends)

...support of the Arctic Winter Games. It has recently been suggested by another honourable Member that the games are too costly. For example, mentioned was the cost of the preselection of dogteams.

Mr. Speaker, I have found that about 2,400 athletes from 52 communities participated in regional trials. They tried out for the games. In January of this year, another 1,400 athletes from 44 communities competed in the territorial trials. The 370 athletes who will go to Alaska represent only a small number of people from many small communities, like the one I represent, who have a chance to participate in the goal of participating in the games. I believe that these regional and territorial trials encourage people at the community level to compete and train all year round.

As for the cost, I would like to point out that the Arctic Winter Games are run by volunteers. Most of the budget is spent on travel. Most of the money comes from lottery revenues, registration fees paid by the athletes, fund-raising and donations. In fact, if you add up the total number of athletes in Baffin at each of the regional and territorial games themselves and divide that into the total Arctic Winter Games budget of $1.5 million, that works out to a cost of only about $360 per athlete. Most of the money is spent on regional and territorial costs. When I look at the value of sending an athlete from one of the small communities, experiencing not just the value of the healthy competition

Sorry, Mr. Speaker, can I ask for unanimous consent?