Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to use my Member's statement today to acknowledge all the hard work of everyone involved in sending Team NWT to the Arctic Winter Games which were held recently in Fort McMurray. The athletes are to be commended for their outstanding sportsmanship, athleticism and dedication to their chosen sports. We can all be very proud of the way our athletes carried themselves. I had the opportunity to attend the games and was overwhelmed by how they were accepted and hosted by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. I wanted to thank the organizing committee from Wood Buffalo for doing such a terrific job, especially the mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Mr. Doug Faulkner, and Guy Boutilier, the MLA for Fort McMurray.
Sport recreation plays a vital role in the physical, emotional and mental well-being of our people, especially our children. Today I wanted to acknowledge this fact and recognize how important it is to life in the Northwest Territories. In closing I would also like to recognize the hard work put in by our staff, Mr. Ian Legaree, director of sport and recreation with MACA; the Minister, Henry Zoe; and, Mr. Gary Schauerte, the manager of sport and recreation, for all of their hard work in putting this together. I also wanted to thank Sport North, Mr. Bill Othmer, and all of the mission staff for doing a wonderful job in putting all of the pieces together to make the 2004 Arctic Winter Games a successful one for Team NWT.
The NWT will host the 2008 Arctic Winter Games and we should all be very excited at bringing the games back home to the Northwest Territories and showcasing our territory to our friends from around the world. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause