Reinstate full slate of sports to Arctic Winter Games, government urges
The Yukon Government is aiming to unite in its attempts to return a full slate of sports to the 2016 Arctic Winter Games.
The Yukon Government is aiming to unite in its attempts to return a full slate of sports to the 2016 Arctic Winter Games.
In the first sitting of the legislature yesterday, Stacey Hassard, Yukon Party MLA for Pelly-Nisutlin gave notice of a motion urging the Arctic Winter Games International Committee to address the reduction in the number of sports at the games, set to take place in Nuuk, Greenland.
Hassard urged the committee to consider the options presented by the major participants "that would ensure young athletes are able to participate in a full 2016 Arctic Winter Games experience, while at the same time supporting Greenland in its role as host jurisdiction.鈥�
Darius Elias, an independent MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin, urged all members of the House to support Elaine Taylor's efforts to reinstate the sports in question.
He urged his fellow politicians to unite and support Taylor in her "pan-northern efforts to ensure that the sports of speed skating, figure skating, curling, gymnastics, midget hockey and dog mushing be included in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games.鈥�
Last month, the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in Greenland slashed the six winter sports from scheduled competition due to a lack of infrastructure and hosting capacity in Nuuk, the country's capital.
The ministers responsible for sport in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut met with the Arctic Winter Games International Committee last week in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Options discussed included splitting the hosting duties between Greenland and Iqaluit. Greenland previously co-hosted with the Nunavut capital in 2002.
The Games committee has committed to review and cost out the options before meeting again with the political leaders in April.
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