As we get ready for the Olympic Torch Relay to pass through our community on January 15th, I am very pleased to announce the Government of Canada's support for an exciting project being undertaken by Devon residents and students.
Students from Devon and Inuvik have partnered together to celebrate the coming of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay through a number of activities, including: web casts, video conferences, and a student exchange program. The project recently received a grant of over $13,000 from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
In November, Hayley Hicks from Riverview Middle School, along with Seth Falk and Amanda Shields from Holy Spirit Catholic School, had the opportunity to travel to a number of sites in the Northwest Territories to learn more about the local culture and to participate in the Torch Relay festivities in these towns. Mayor Anita Fisher accompanied the lucky winners (who each submitted excellent videos to earn their spot), and met with the mayors of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.
This week, a group from the north will be coming down to share in the excitement of the Olympic Torch's arrival in Devon. The group includes the mayors of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, 4 young students (who, as Northern Games athletes, have been invited to perform at the actual Games in Vancouver), and a tribal elder who will be sharing his expertise on a number of northern aboriginal traditions.
As the eyes of the world turn to Canada, it is absolutely wonderful to see among Canadians a renewed interest in what makes our country so unique. In the run-up to the games, the Department of Canadian Heritage has supported almost 100 projects similar to this one across the country. These initiatives are generating in our students a deeper appreciation of our cultural history, our shared values, and what it means to be a Canadian. I am thrilled that our students from Devon are able to have this opportunity as well, and I congratulate them and the members of the Torch Relay Celebration Committee on all their hard work in putting this project together.
I look forward to seeing you at the Torch Relay festivities on the 15th, and I join you in wishing our athletes the greatest success at the Games in February. Go Canada Go! James Rajotte, MP Edmonton-Leduc