Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, something remarkable happened yesterday down on Yellowknife Bay. For the 22nd time, the Snowking's Winter Festival kicked off its annual celebration of all things snow, ice, and winter.
Mr. Speaker, as Northerners, most of us grew up knowing that it's fun to play in the snow. More than 22 years ago, Yellowknifer Tony Foliot took that concept and ran with it and, if he could build a castle out of snow, well, it is only right that he should be the king of the castle!
Now the Snowking festival has evolved into a celebration of winter that draws visitors from across Canada and other parts of the world. Starting just after freeze-up, a hardy band of souls is down on the lake every day. They cut the ice to make windows, steeples, and sculptures of all kinds. Then for two months they scoop and shovel and pile and blow and shape the snow.
What emerges from this labour is an amazing castle. With a courtyard and slide, a grand ballroom, and various nooks and crannies, the Yellowknife snow castle has evolved into a masterful thing of beauty that is bigger and better every year.
Its programming has evolved too. Every day in the month of March there's something unique and fun going on at the castle. The festival provides a venue for many local musicians, and also brings in national musical performers. Everything from DJs at the Royal Rave to country to rockabilly and blues and roots, even a Burlesque show and a comedy night.
The festival is great for families, and not just to go down the slide. It features children's plays and music and stories. It's a venue for art of many kinds. Its art shows feature the works of local schools and celebrations of uniquely northern groups such as Arctic FOXY.
There is a hockey tournament, a fish fry, a film festival, table tennis, and a TV screening, and its snow carving competition, which ends today, Mr. Speaker, now draws participants from as far away as China. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Unanimous consent granted