And because they’re healthy, they’re active.
This government should be encouraging a trend of active seniors, but the recent refusal by the Minister responsible for Seniors to provide the necessary funding for the 2010 55-plus Games supports neither this trend of active seniors nor this Assembly’s goal of healthy, educated people.
Past actions indicate that the NWT is committed to participation in, and funding of, multisport games. The 55-plus Games is one more avenue for our residents to benefit from multisport games. We know that Sport North is willing to take on the job of administering these games and it’s only logical that they do so. They are a 35-year-old NGO that has, over the years, very successfully administered countless multisport games and trials.
As the Minister responsible for sport, maybe the Minister of MACA will realize that the multisport games buck stops with him. Will he be more receptive to the seniors’ funding request? I find it hard to believe that we can spend $2.5 million to
showcase the NWT at the 2010 Olympics but we can’t find a measly $50,000 to treat our elders with the respect they deserve.
NWT participant costs for the last 55-plus Games ran to $3,000 or $4,000 per person for some 100 participants. That is a total of over $300,000 of which only $50,000 was contributed by the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted.