Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, following up on my colleague, Mr. Krutko's statement today on tourism, I would like to share with you a news article that was printed in The Weekly Telegraph, which is a paper published in London, England. The article, in their May 14th issue, found under their international news section was entitled, "Chasing the Canadian Light Show of Love" and was written by Robert Uhlig of Yellowknife.
I would like to read this brief article, Mr. Speaker.
The northern lights season is ending in Yellowknife, Canada, the self-proclaimed aurora borealis capital of the world, ending the annual pilgrimage of thousands of Japanese honeymooners who hope their marriages will be blessed under the celestial light show. As summer approaches, a last consignment of Japanese tourists has flown in to view the aurora before the nightly display ends. Since Christmas, 40,000 have arrived in Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, 350 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Each night they travel 30 miles to search the sky for the astronomical phenomenon that used to occur over northern Japan. Japanese tradition says a child conceived under its glow will have good fortune. However, over the past 40 years the magnetic North Pole has moved northwards and the lights are no longer seen over Japan. Newlyweds wishing to continue the tradition, fly to Canada. The aurora occurs when the earth's magnetic field interacts with solar wind, particles coming from the sun.
Mr. Speaker, it is nice to learn we are worthy of such international attention, especially when it is positive and promotes the North. Tourism is important to the North and I would like to thank Mr. Uhlig for writing this article and for The Weekly Telegraph for this free advertising. I hope we can attract even more tourists next year than the 40,000 who have come our way this past winter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause