Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the Minister stated that, you know, he was in sports and rec for 30 years. The issue is that what -- you know, over the years, things have changed. Back then, probably didn't have cell phones; people weren't, you know, doing drugs like they are nowadays. There's a lot of distractions. And you know, we've got to adapt to those changing times and realizing that the good old days aren't here anymore. And the youth do need our support. And, you know, I think it's up to this government. We've got -- you know, the youth and the communities look to us because we've got basically the resources to help them out. And to be successful, we have to -- we need to get the youth excited and engaged if we expect volunteers to step forward because enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm, and if the youth are engaged and they're enthusiastic, they're going to make sure that the volunteers come out. You know, in the past, I know when I was growing up, it was always the teachers and the RCMP that were the ones that were always out there and, you know, providing that -- you know, that volunteerism that, you know, helped us grow as youth. So I think it's so important, and I know we talk about it and we talk and yet we seem to have to really fight for, you know, the few little dollars that are out there. You know, there's some good things that come out of it. You know, the Kole Crook Fiddle Association, you know, I think they were looking at, you know, hopefully a multiyear agreement as well for, you know, going around to the communities and teaching fiddling. So, you know -- and the youth I think really enjoy that. And I know in Hay River it's successful. It keeps people off the street, kids off the street. I know, you know, parents are proud of the kids.
And, you know, you see residents as well, you know, buying fiddles and guitars and donating them to the association. So there's hope out there. And another one there -- and I promised the Minister I would bring this up, and that's the ski club in Hay River. And you know, when it first started back a few years, it was part of the lottery program and it was -- you know, it received, you know, year to year funding as a legacy retail recipient. But then all of a sudden, the government of the day came and conned them out of the arrangement with a promise for better times. Well, those better times lasted for -- on a five-year agreement and, you know, we've been lucky here in this last three years, the Minister has coughed up a little bit of money. And I'm trying to get another year or a long term -- or another agreement out of him. But it's pretty tough. But when I look at -- you know, when I look at say the ski club for instance, there is an activity, like, there's ski and snowshoeing. It's something that can be sustained and -- throughout the territory just like the Kole Crook Fiddle Association and taught. And, you know, we've got long winters up north and, you know, kids are outside, youth are outside -- well, hopefully they are, and they're willing to do those type of things. You know, the cost of it isn't too bad but we know that there's been, you know, on the ski side anyway, you know, there's been Olympians that have come out of that. So I think there's an opportunity there. But I'm just hoping that the department and the Minister sees that, looks beyond, you know, kind of what's just in front of their nose and looks at -- and look at what could be. So anyways, so I'm hoping that at the end of the day that, you know, with respect to at least the ski club that we're able to get them some funding this year. I've asked for it. I was kind of hoping the Minister of Finance will promise it but I haven't heard from her. But, you know, it's a little bit, and I think the volunteers are actually getting -- they are getting frustrated and, you know, if we're not backing them, they're going to slowly start to walk away. You know, they've got lives to live and, you know, they're dealing with high costs; they're dealing with all the things that everybody else is dealing with. So, you know, if we want to do something, we've got to -- you know, like my colleague said, you know, we got to put the money in there and we got to put it into areas that we're getting -- you know, that we're getting best bang for the buck. And so we really have to look at it. But anyways, you know, when it comes to -- when it comes to sports, I'm all for it and, you know, the more money we can put into it, the more we can offer the smaller communities because, you know, we see people going in -- we see young kids and young adults going in to, you know, the Canada Winter Games, we see them going to the Arctic Winter Games, but when you look at it, what I see sometimes is -- I don't see as many kids from the communities. I see kids from the regional centres, kids from more affluent families.
So there is that gap there, and we've got to -- you know, we have to fill it, you know and, like, you know, in the communities, smaller communities, it is costly to get out of there. We see what the cost of flying is. So all I ask is that the Minister, you know, take a look at what we could do, and same with the Cabinet Ministers on the other side is that, you know, give us some thought, and how can we better, you know, make use of some of the money that we do have and maybe put it into the regional and communities -- smaller communities and really support some of the sports initiatives that are out there. So, again, like my colleague, it's more of a rant, I guess, than anything. But I know the Minister's heard me talk about this a number of times, and he probably will for a while. But anyway, thank you.