Mr. Speaker, this morning is one of the coldest we've seen this winter in Yellowknife. It is a very appropriate day to acknowledge the spirit and enthusiasm for winter shown by one of my constituents and his cheerful band of volunteers. I'm speaking of none other than Anthony Foliot, the widely proclaimed Snow King of the North. Needless to say, I am very proud to be the MLA for the only constituency in the Northwest Territories with a reigning monarch. The people of Yellowknife wholeheartedly welcomed back the Snow King after he took off a couple of years from his construction of the only snow castle in the Northwest Territories. This year the castle is bigger and more impressive than ever, with real castle-like turrets and clear ice windows. Last Friday evening, I had the pleasure, in spite of minus 37 degree temperatures, to attend the official opening of the 2003 series snow castle along with a huge crowd of visitors including our mayor from Yellowknife and our Premier.
The Snow King's festival will run every weekend in March with a new activity planned for each week. Admission to the castle and festivities is free, and the entertainment is sure to be great. Mr. Foliot and his volunteers and the corporate sponsors deserve a big thank you from all of us. The king and his volunteers put in hundreds of hours so they could challenge and enjoy winter. While many of us hunker down by the wood stove, wishing winter would end and the sun would come back, they are out there working and enjoying themselves and dreaming of the enjoyment they bring to many visitors, and they do this with generosity straight from the heart. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
--Applause