Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Northwest Territories is proudly represented by three of its finest athletes at the 2014 Winter
Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Please join me once again in recognizing the achievements of Yellowknife speed skater Michael Gilday, cross-country skier Jesse Cockney and Hay River biathlete Brendan Green.
Not far behind them are the young athletes counting down the days to the Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks, Alaska. Each one of these Olympians got their start at the Arctic Winter Games and, more importantly, at NWT schools.
This past year the Yukon government implemented a sports school program at the Whitehorse high school. Based on BC’s Canadian sport school program, students at F.H. Collins Secondary School spend half a day focusing on sport training and the other half on academics. The curriculum is further supplemented with guest speakers on a variety of health and fitness topics. The program also recognizes that unique training and competition demands of elite young athletes need special accommodation so that their academic and athletic success remains compatible.
Healthy people are active people. As we face the ongoing challenge of stimulating the development of healthy, educated people, I strongly encourage the Government of the Northwest Territories to consider a similar sport school initiative. Our government funds after school physical activities, multisport games, awards high performance athletic grants and contributes generously to the Pan-Territorial Sport Strategy and sport and recreation organizations, but will NWT own the podium?
Most other provinces dedicate significant resources to programming for high performance sport, and we should be on board with the sport school concept.
Olympic athletes are developed out of broad-based support at the community level. Not all our youth will become Olympians and that is not the goal of the Yukon sport school. But Team Canada in Sochi and Team NWT heading for Alaska next month show that we have a lot of homegrown talent and bright up-and-comers whose efforts we should nurture.
Sports are an excellent incentive to stay in school, develop self-discipline and make lasting positive lifestyle choices. Whatever the outcome, the strength, courage and determination that young people apply in training to win are tools for success in all aspects of life.
Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted