Mr. Speaker, last month the Nahendeh hosted a number of exciting sporting events for youth and adults. I had the opportunity to volunteer, be a spectator, and even participate in a number of those.
On January 11th and 12th the Hamlet of Fort Liard hosted the 5th Annual Four on Four Soccer Tournament. They had over 60 athletes from Wrigley, Fort Simpson, Hay River, and Fort Liard participate. There were four co-ed divisions, ranging from the 12-and-under division and ending with the 19-and-under division. Spectators enjoyed the weekend with lots of amazing soccer. I would like to thank the cooks, recreation department, and coaches for making this event a great success for the athletes and families.
On January 18th to 20th we witnessed amazing sportsmanship and enjoyment during the annual Paul Stipdonk Memorial Soccer Tournament. The community of Fort Simpson saw over 80 athletes participate in five co-ed divisions, ranging from the four-and-under division and ending with the 12-and-under divisions. The four communities of Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Sambaa K'e, and Fort Liard participated in this event. As in the past, the high school students coached the teams and Chris Stipdonk, son of Paul, refereed the majority of the games. Along with soccer, the youth were able to attend a movie night, skills competition, and free gym time.
On January 25th to 27th the Fort Simpson Recreation Center hosted the 32nd Annual Fort Simpson Men's Senior Hockey Tournament, with five teams registered. Fort Simpson, Deline, Hay River, and Fort Providence were represented. The Deline Braves emerged as the tournament champions, with the Hay River Huskies coming in second and the Nahanni Inn Flyers placing third.
The organizers would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped out with the adult dance and family dance, in keeping score, and the Moosehide Mammas in providing the little extras that make this tournament successful. They would like to thank all of the platinum and gold sponsors; Rowes Construction, Simpson Air, Nahanni Inn, Village of Fort Simpson, Liidlii Kue First Nation, Dehcho Friendship Centre, and Aurora Ford.
Finally, to bring the weekend to a successful close, the Fort Simpson Curling Club hosted the 29th Annual Merchants Bonspiel. There were 13 teams competing in three events. There was a team from Hay River and a junior team that participated. The winning team of Marc Bertrand, Dani Thompson, Troy Hardisty, and Anastasia Panshyna were the single undefeated team. The club had a special recognition for Ted Grants for his support throughout the years. The organizers would like to thank the cooks, volunteers, corporate sponsors, and the teams who helped make this a successful event. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend we saw the annual Wolfpack Invitational Basketball Tournament, with teams from Fort Smith, Fort Nelson, and Fort Simpson participating with 12 teams in five divisions. There was a lot of great basketball played that weekend.
In closing, I would like to congratulate the Nahanni Inn Flyers for winning the annual Hay River Rusty Blades Hockey Tournament, where there were 12 teams in three pools. In the end, we played Yellowknife in the final and won 3-2. Special recognition goes out to Shawn Gillis for being the youngest player on the team and scoring his first old-timer's goal. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.