Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Late last week the Hay Walkers arrived in

Tuktoyaktuk

.

As you know, we weren’t there, you were there, we didn’t see you there. But, I’m talking about the NWT Recreation and Parks Association.

I know you were in Tuk, but we weren’t there.

The NWT Rec and Parks Association has a walk from Fort Providence to Tuktoyaktuk. It promotes healthy living, walking, exercising, especially in this bad time when the weather is tough. But there’s a bunch of teams out there. There are 188 teams out there throughout the Northwest Territories walking right now.

I’d like to say we were the first team to arrive, but I think there have been at least 55 teams that have arrived to Tuktoyaktuk already, and some of them are racing on the way back. I know we’re committed to walking back and hot on the heels of Happy Feet, one of our team captains, Tom Makepeace’s wife’s team, so we’re in a little bit of a race with them, trying to catch up.

Mr. Speaker, these teams come from all the way from the Far North, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, all the way to Tsiigehtchic, Norman Wells, all the way down the valley, Nahanni Butte, Fort Liard, Fort Smith, Hay River, Yellowknife. All over the Northwest Territories there are thousands of people walking, getting their steps in, whether it’s walking their dog, or just committing to being out in the North and doing exercise. Many of these teams are school teams. Many of them are seniors’ groups. Many are friends and families getting together and

just challenging each other, get your hours in, get your time in.

We are sad to say that the Walk to Tuk didn’t win the Play Exchange Challenge, the national challenge that we voted on, but we know that’s not from the spirit that we have but just because Quebec had bigger numbers. Good luck to everybody. Keep walking. Thank you.