Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to announce that the three northern territories have reached agreement with the federal Secretary of State for Amateur Sport on a new pan-territorial sport strategy.
On February 22nd, the three territories concluded discussions with the Honourable Paul DeVilliers on a funding arrangement that will allow us to increase participation in amateur sport at every level and in every community in our territories.
The agreement includes funding for the current fiscal year, which will help us to lay the groundwork for full development of the strategy over the next year. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that Sport Canada will contribute $178,000 to the three territories this year for the development of the strategy. The Government of the Northwest Territories will receive $106,000 of this new funding.
The new strategy will support the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in our goal of encouraging northern residents to be more physically active and to lead healthier lives. It will also enable us to increase our efforts targeted at ensuring that residents in all our communities have the opportunities to participate in sporting events.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight the following elements of the strategy for which planning is already underway:
- • the Esteem Team, a role model program that uses high profile athletes to make inspiring and educational presentations to youth, will visit six communities. Over the next three years, the team will make presentations to every school in the Northwest Territories;
- • in cooperation with the Aboriginal Sport Circle of the Western Arctic, we are contributing to a traditional Dene games camp to be held in Fort McPherson this weekend. In the future, we hope to work with the circle and Sport North to increase the quality and number of multi-sport camps, and make them available in a larger number of communities;
- • in cooperation with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, we have promoted active living activities in schools across the Northwest Territories for Education Week;
- • to encourage our high performance athletes, we will make a contribution towards the hosting of the Western Canadian Ski Championships which will be held in Yellowknife next month. Over the next three years, we will provide more opportunities for high performance coach and athlete training through clinics and camps;
- • the Kidsport fund is a national charity that raises funds to provide equipment and participation fees for children who would otherwise not be able to participate in sports. In partnership with Sport North, who manages this program in the NWT, we will work to increase awareness of this excellent program.
- • finally, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that the Northwest Territories is taking the lead for all three territories in the development of coaching resources to promote traditional sports including Inuit and Dene games, Inuit wrestling and dog sledding. The new strategy will allow this work to continue at an accelerated pace.
Mr. Speaker, the pan-territorial sport strategy provides an excellent opportunity for us to work with our many partners to increase opportunities for participation in all our communities. I would like to acknowledge the support of Secretary of State DeVilliers, who met with us in Iqaluit last spring and since then has worked hard to make this new program a reality. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.