Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of ITI. About eight years ago I decided that I’d like to take a hike on the Canol Trail. At that time, Premier Joe Handley wanted to come along. Basically, the idea was to take some youth out because looking at the situation of our youth and that it might be a good opportunity to talk about the youth, give them some experience about being out on the land and talking with some of the older people and the leaders and what they want to do in life. Over the past eight years this hike has become an annual event.

Given that we know more than...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the past eight years and hopefully this summer, in July, people will tell us to take a hike, and I say I’m glad to. I hike along the Canol Heritage Trail. I hike with the young people. We’ve been doing it for the last eight years. Why take the hike? Why go with them? I look at this and I say, well, what’s the experience? From this experience, what will help the youth today? We go out to the Canol Trail, someplace, maybe at Mile 15, maybe at Mile 70, maybe at Mile 222, but we take one of these locations and we go out with the youth and we give them the opportunity...

I just wanted to let the Minister know that, as Ms. Bisaro said, this is a really huge, complex information act and, like I’ve said to the Minister sometimes, it’s communication, communication, communication in our languages in our small communities and make sure that people like grannie from Nahanni can understand. When they walk into the health centre that they know that they’re not just still going there for aspirins but they’re also going to be bringing other information for them that she needs to know what it’s all about. The legislation is not coming into effect for a while, but that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is the beginning of planting the seed, so I look at that as the first process, is get the seed in the ground and start developing a vision for our athletes in the future. I’m not too sure the time frame of when this discussion will come to our side; hopefully, it will be done within the life of this government.

Can the Minister then sort of give some assurance that it will happen soon so we can have some discussion and start working on it?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague Mr. Bouchard talked about the athletes from his riding attending the Arctic Winter Games, and certainly many athletes across the Northwest Territories will be there next week. Also, over the weekend we had the Second Annual Traditional Aboriginal Games Championships and I’m very happy to know, from speaking there to the young athletes, that Mr. McLeod was there to show support and people were quite happy that he was there to show support.

I’m asking if there is any type of discussion, with all the other support he has given to the athletes, if there’s any type of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This afternoon I want to talk about an idea, a concept that was once in the Northwest Territories.

Some time ago up in Inuvik, they had the ski program, the TEST program. This program was sponsored to develop young northern skiers. This program was so successful that it produced some high quality athletes, athletes that were so good that we sent them to the Olympics because they made the Olympic Team, Mr. Speaker. They did us proud. Certainly, today in the Northwest Territories, we just celebrated a couple of our northern athletes going to the Olympics.

I’d like to say...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we sought nomination and put our names forward for the MLA for our riding, we knew perfectly well, through speaking with our elders and people, they said, you’re working for us. That’s what your job is, to work for us and do the best you can in that term.

I sat down with many elders and they said, you, as an MLA, you’re like an arrowhead. The people are like that bow. Whatever issue we talk about, we’ll pull the bow and you shoot. Power to hang you and the arrowhead goes to that issue. Don’t be scared, because you’re the voice of the people. But if you speak for...

Just witnessing the Second Annual Traditional Aboriginal Games Championships over the weekend at William Mac School, I could see these young students with gleam in their eyes with all the excitement.

I would ask the Minister, when he is meeting or talking with his colleagues from the Yukon government, is that something that will come to this Legislative Assembly for some discussion on this side as to possibly looking at the concept of a centre for excellence for our northern athletes?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke about the high quality of athletes in the Northwest Territories and having a program that would be something like a TEST program. I want to ask the Minister of MACA, in his role as the Minister of Sport and Youth, is it something that has been talked about in senior level of government? Has something like a TEST program been talked about where we could begin training some of the younger children who have the calibre to go to the Olympics and other world champion games?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am going to name off some community schools: Lutselk’e, Chief Jimmy Bruneau, Fort Providence, Hay River Reserve, St. Joe’s, Weledeh, Norman Wells, Fort McPherson, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Fort Simpson, Fort Good Hope, Elizabeth Mackenzie School, K’alemi Dene School, Fort Resolution, JBT, Mildred Hall, Colville Lake, East 3 High, Ulukhaktok and William Mac School. These are 21 schools that are participating in the Traditional Games Championship this week.

Yesterday at the opening ceremonies, there was excitement in the kids. They did their ceremony outside and they had...