Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, equitable access to sport is fundamental to creating inclusive communities where everyone can experience the physical, social, and mental health benefits of athletic participation. Barriers like cost, equipment, and lack of safe spaces prevent many from participating, particularly affecting low-income communities, people with disabilities, and marginalized groups. Sport creates safe spaces when people find the right spaces, and a new volunteer-led organization is working to do just that.
Northwest Territories Equitable Sport Access, affectionately referred to as NTESA, connects youth with sport mentors, hosts teams in Yellowknife's leagues, and organizes accessible pop-up events where donation dollars raised are turned around to help all NWT residents access sports. NTESA is fully volunteer-based, an organizational pillar that upholds the importance of adults investing in youth and community without expecting pay. These volunteers don't just run programs; they shape lives and they save them. They create welcoming spaces that make sport accessible to all, including a sold-out dodgeball tournament this past Sunday that saw a diverse roster battle for hours, raising hundreds of dollars for NWT youth, sport, and recreation.
Mr. Speaker, you've made it clear where sport sits in your priorities, and our perspectives have always aligned on the court, field, and ice. Sport isn't just a game. Teamwork builds trust, game setbacks teach resilience, and discipline develops character.
The impact is measurable: high school athletes have 40 percent lower dropout rates and are twice as likely to graduate. Youth in organized sports are 50 percent less likely to experience depression and 25 percent less anxious. Sports participants are three times more likely to do community volunteer, 50 percent less likely to use drugs, and have higher adult employment rates. Beyond individual benefits, sport strengthens communities by reducing youth crime and creating connections that truly last a lifetime.
Mr. Speaker, access to sport and recreation saves lives and builds stronger communities. Those aren't my words but those of NWT residents who participated in multiple Standing Committee on Social Development reports in the 19th Assembly. Every dollar and hour we, as residents, invest in sport and recreation changes our territory's trajectory one athlete, one volunteer, one community at a time. If you want to get involved in NTESA, it's as easy as showing up. And, together, we can ensure sport remains a bridge to opportunity rather than a barrier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Kam Lake. Members' statements.
