Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am most pleased today to rise to honour a Yellowknife institution. Back in February, 1968, several residents formed a downhill ski club at the old gravel pit at Jackfish Lake. At the time, there were only 5,000 residents in our capital, Yellowknife. A few people like Ruth and Bob Spence, followed organizer, Yetman Ben-Dixon on the downhill slopes. Downhilling at Jackfish remained popular for a couple of years, but eventually the city got worried that the land under the gravel pit was unstable and someone would get injured. A deal was worked out with the commissioner, giving the ski club access to the land across the road by the ravine. Ben Dixon and his wife, originally from Norway, were teachers at Sir John Franklin High School. They brought cross-country skiis up for anyone willing to try them out and at $25 for a full set of gear, it was a lot less expensive than downhill skiing. As a result, a lot of people changed over to cross-country skiing and the downhill focus of the club started to melt away. Programs for children and racing were introduced and the club continued to grow. In the past couple of years, the club has moved yet again to a permanent home on the far side of the ravine. A beautiful clubhouse has been built there and there are many kilometres of trails and hundreds of members are presently part of the club. The club has added a lot to this community over the years and its continued success is owed, as always, to the legions of volunteers who do all the work to keep the club going. I want to take a minute here, Mr. Speaker, to congratulate the ski club on its 30th anniversary this weekend and thank all the volunteers over the years who have contributed to making this anniversary possible. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause