This year’s Winter Games were the tenth annual running of the Olympics of the North, which takes place every three years in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. There were up to 400 athletes and community co-ordinators from thirty communities in Labrador to celebrate the sporting and cultural heritage of Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, the competition is tight among many communities, but this year the team from Cartwright came out on top with an outstanding performance. I commend each of these athletes for their spirited effort and I would also like to congratulate the team from Happy Valley-Goose Bay for their second place finish and the Town of Mary’s Harbour for their third place finish.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to pay tribute to two athletes from the Cartwright team who had multiple medal wins and were named most outstanding female and male athletes for the District of Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair. They were: Andrea Pardy, who won gold medals in the snowshoe race and the snowshoe biathlon, a silver medal in the snowshoe relay race, and a bronze medal in ball hockey; and Preston Morris who won a gold medal in the snowshoe biathlon, silver medals in the snowshoe race and the snowshoe relay race, and a bronze medal in the northern triathlon and ball hockey.

Mr. Speaker, Cartwright was also named the Most Fit Community of the Winter Games.

I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating the team from Cartwright, who are the 2010 Labrador Winter Games champions for this season.