Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to talk about our athletes who are selected to participate at the Canada Summer and Winter Games, National Aboriginal Indigenous Games, and National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. We are fortunate to have our athletes from the NWT participate at this level. As you know, Mr. Speaker, some of our very own have gone on to higher levels of competition, and we are very proud that we have supported them to get to the level that they are at. These Games teach our athletes fair play, responsibility, respect, just to name a few.
Mr. Speaker, potential athletes coming from the Mackenzie Delta who want to try out for any sport must make their way to a sport development camp, which is usually in Yellowknife. This means that our athletes have to drive or fly from either Aklavik, Tsiigehtchic, or Fort McPherson to Inuvik, continue flights on to Yellowknife, look for and pay for accommodation, meals, taxis, and, in most cases, registration. I speak for all athletes who have considered participating in any sporting activities, where there are no regional camps, where individuals have to make their own way to Yellowknife to take part in one of the many sport development camps. This, Mr. Speaker, is in the early stages, when teams are not yet selected, adding to the empty pockets of parents.
Mr. Speaker, we have excellent role models, high performance athletes in our regions, who fail to participate because of the out-of-pocket expenses that the parents have to front. Fundraising efforts are not that great in an economy with little or no jobs, and the cost of living is very high. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this concern has come to my office time and time again: parents looking for support in getting their children to Yellowknife to participate in sporting camps to be considered for Team NWT. My concern, Mr. Speaker, is that far too many times, these camps are held here in Yellowknife, where the athletes from the Mackenzie Delta, Nunakput, and Inuvik, and possibly Sahtu ridings, just can't afford the travel and extra costs associated with sport development camps.
What I would suggest is to have these camps in Inuvik, have your athletes from Yellowknife, Hay River, and Fort Smith regions come to Inuvik and pay the extra costs from their pockets and look for accommodations, etc. I am not talking about regional camps. I am talking about the sport development camps where the teams are actually chosen. I am sure, Mr. Speaker, you will see the high turnout with athletes from the Delta wanting to participate with little to no cost to the parents. Mr. Speaker, this could be taken into consideration, not so much with the Arctic Winter Games, because this is a success with funding provided right from the community level, to the territorials and to the games themselves, but more so with the summer and winter games, NAIG and NAHC. I would like to state once again, for future events coming such as Canada Winter Games, NAHC, and maybe there are other team NWT-oriented events that I did not mention, maybe curling, cross country skiing, etc.