Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about the Canadian Championship Dog Derby. Mr. Speaker, this derby has a history going back more than 40 years. It is a grueling race which takes place here, starting on the ice of Frame Lake and out onto Great Slave, for a total amount of 150 miles spread over three days.
Mr. Speaker, the race starts today at 12:30 p.m., and at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. This year, it features more than 20 teams from across Canada, some from as far away as Spain.
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Championship Dog Derby is now part of a points formula for mushers, which means, as befits a world class race, it will attract more mushers from across Canada and the rest of the world in the future.
Mr. Speaker, dog-team racing is a very important part of our history. It has produced some world-class mushers from the North. On behalf of all of the Members today, I would like to wish all of the mushers good speed and safe racing. Thank you.