Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s ironic the light is shining on me today. The light will be shining on the South Slave in 2018 when the South Slave hosts the Arctic Winter Games.
In March the International Committee announced that Hay River/Fort Smith were the successful components in the joint bid for the Arctic Winter Games. I would like to give a big shout out to the bid committee for both communities as well as those communities that are participating. Enterprise and Fort Res will be involved as well.
Both town councils have been working hard and budgeting for this process, and they had a meeting a couple weekends ago to get the process working. Now the work begins. They have to roll up their sleeves and make this a big success.
I look forward to the opportunity when the Minister, Minister R.C. McLeod from Inuvik Twin Lakes, will come down and sign the agreement for the Arctic Winter Games. There is great excitement to see this come back into the regions. The Arctic Winter Games will be coming back to the people of the Northwest Territories.
I’d like to thank the Department of MACA and the GNWT for additional funding to do it right and put it out into the regions. This will be a 40-year anniversary for Hay River to have the Arctic Winter Games. We hosted it last time in the South Slave with Pine Point. It will be the 40th anniversary in
2018.
I do support the fact that we need this back in the regions. The Beau-Del and Inuvik didn’t win this bid, but I think the Arctic Winter Games should go there next. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.