Mr. Speaker, today I am very proud to rise and recognize that two of our very own have been elected to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
I am, of course, speaking about Sharon Firth and Shirley Firth-Larsson, who will become the first Northwest Territories residents to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony later this fall in Calgary.
Sharon and Shirley captivated the North and Canada from the late 1960s through the mid-1980s with their incredible sporting exploits. They first entered the national scene in 1968 when they won medals at the Canadian Junior Cross Country Ski Championships.
They went on to compete in four Olympic Winter Games, including Sapporo, Japan, in 1972; Innsbruck, Austria, in 1976; Lake Placid, New York, in 1980; and Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, in 1984.
In many ways they were trailblazers for women, for Aboriginal Canadians and for all Northerners in the rest of Canada and around the world.
Although Shirley is no longer with us, Sharon continues to be a role model and inspiration for hundreds of young people in her current work as a youth officer with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame recognizes our country’s finest athletes as role
models for Canadians of all ages, and sharing their stories unites our country and reminds us of the core values that help define our people.
All Northerners are extremely proud of Sharon and Shirley’s accomplishments. We only wish that Shirley could have been here to receive this national recognition of her contribution to Canada’s sport history.
Sharon and Shirley Firth have certainly inspired all of us. They will now take their place at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, where their stories can encourage all Canadians to strive to be the very best they can be.
I invite all Members to join me in congratulating Sharon Firth and Shirley Firth-Larsson’s family on this wonderful honour on behalf of all Northerners. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.