Mr. Gerry McAlpine (Sturgeon Creek): This morning I, along with the Premier (Mr. Filmon), Industry, Trade and Tourism Minister Mervin Tweed, and Winnipeg Airports Authority President and CEO Murray Sigler, had the pleasure of attending an event regarding future developments at the Winnipeg Airport.

The Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc. will develop detailed operational and facility plans to guide the future development of Winnipeg International Airport and its role in economic development for the city and province. The plans will be developed in a series of studies to be conducted with financial assistance from the Manitoba government. The province will provide 50 percent of the cost of the studies, too, from the Manitoba Business Development Fund.

The studies will focus on several areas of potential growth and development of the airport facility and surrounding areas. The project will look at setting out an updated airport master plan, defining elements of a plan to construct a new terminal building, creating an airport-related business park and developing a strategy to market enhanced air cargo services.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the Airports Authority which, since taking over operation of Winnipeg International, has worked hard to improve services and also look for new business development opportunities. With its 24-hour status, proximity to rail and road links, convenient location to the city, and room for expansion, Winnipeg International Airport can continue to be a major economic development engine for the city and the province and will keep us on course for continued success in the future.

I would like to wish this operation continued success. Thank you.

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Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Madam Speaker, yesterday the member for Flin Flon (Mr. Jennissen) and I had the opportunity of witnessing the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the federal government and the Manitoba Dene people of Northlands First Nation at Lac Brochet and the Sayisi Dene of Tadoule Lake. The ceremony took place at Tadoule Lake and was signed by the federal Minister of Indian Affairs, Jane Stewart. It was indeed a day to be remembered by all.

Firstly, the admission by the federal government is a breakthrough after past denials and refusals to negotiate on this issue, which is critical to the Sayisi Dene and the Northlands Dene who have traditionally hunted, fished and lived on both sides of the 60th parallel.

I know that there is a lot of business that has to be done in the days ahead, the months and years ahead. Negotiations, however, can now begin on harvesting rights, land selection and reconciliation. It is our hope that these negotiations can be fast-tracked and completed quickly to allow the two First Nations to obtain outstanding treaty land entitlement.

The Northlands Sayisi Dene bands have been denied economic development due to a shortage of land, and of course, the Sayisi Dene–it is well documented–still have a major dispute with the federal government over their forced relocation to Churchill in 1956. Hopefully, we will bring to final closure the unfortunate circumstances that the Dene people faced while in Churchill, which we have come to know as an experiment on genocide.

Madam Speaker, we also look forward to the time when the federal government will formally apologize to the Sayisi Dene for the treatment that these people received in Churchill between 1956 and the early '70s. Thank you.

Mr. Glen Findlay (Springfield): Madam Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure to rise today and inform everybody in the House that we had a very happy day in Springfield and Oakbank last Friday with the sod turning for the 40-bed personal care home. This personal care home comes into being because of the community effort in Springfield and Oakbank over many years where the Kinsmen and Kinettes led a charge to have a personal care home. The local committee in the community worked very aggressively with Manitoba Health, with North Eastman association and have concluded with the announcement on Friday that with the sod turning, the construction is underway for this 40-bed personal care home.

The discussion over the years symbolized the kind of change in health care services being delivered, because from a 30-bed initially conceived, it ends up in a 40-bed personal care home plus a primary health centre, a primary health centre which has services such as community health services, home care, mental health, diabetes education, audiology services and substance abuse education awareness, all part of the facility in Oakbank to serve Springfield and area.

I want to congratulate the ministers of Health in the past and this government, and particularly the current Minister of Health (Mr. Stefanson) for being at the sod turning for the betterment of health care services in North Eastman association. All the citizens out there need to be congratulated, not only for the work to develop the final design of the project but in terms of responding to the request for the public funds to come forward for the matching grant of $841,000 from the community, which is citizens plus the R.M. of Springfield, to be part of the $7.2-million announcement that we made last Friday. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the 53 Manitoba-born or Manitoba-trained athletes who have made the Pan Am Games team. Twenty-three of the 41 sports will have Manitoba athletes, and I think that nothing is going to sell tickets for the Pan Am Games like promoting these athletes and having Manitobans get out and cheer for our home-grown athletes.

In athletics, there are Daryl Fillion and Byron Goodwin; badminton, Kara Solmundson; basketball, Todd MacCulloch; beach volleyball, Dan Lewis; cycling, Clara Hughes, Jim Fisher and Tanya Dubnicoff; equestrian, James Atkinson; field hockey, Christine Hunter; judo, Kevin McIver and Niki Jenkins; racquetball, Sherman Greenfeld; roller sports, Shaun Clark; roller hockey, Scott Burfoot, Jeff Leiter and Michael Martens; speed skating roller sports, Cindy Klassen and Christy Peters; rowing, Emma Robinson; rhythmic gymnastics, Julie Hayward, Katie Iafolla, Joanna Krecsy, Jennifer Pudavick and Andrea Sellen; sailing, Kelly Hand; shooting, Henry Gerow.

Soccer, Brian Devenney; softball, Rick Elias and Sandy Newsham; squash, Marnie Baizley and Carolyn Russell; swimming, Kelly Stefanyshyn; tae kwon do, Dominique Bosshart; handball, Ryan Biggs, Bill Coulter, Larry Hosegood, Kris Kendall, Trevor Nott and Jade Young; team handball, women, Rebecca Hoffer and Nancy Karpinsky; volleyball, men, Jason Dufault, Scott Koskie, Jules Martens, Keith Sanheim and Andrew Zurawsky; women's team, Wanda Guenette, Janis Kelly, and Louise Wlock; water polo, men, Darryl Bourne; weightlifting, Theresa Brick and Susanne Dandenault.

I want to have all members of the House join me in wishing these athletes congratulations and all the best on their performances in the Games.

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, I just wanted to take this opportunity–as we know there are many different events around the province in which we are getting a wide number of people participating and volunteering their time and efforts and ensuring that these many events are, in fact, as successful as they have been in years past. That is all being put in the time frame of the Pan Am Games. I know, in the last couple of evenings, I have had opportunity to visit pavilions.

It is a showcase for all Manitobans. I just wanted to applaud all of the efforts, not only those who are participating and volunteering their time for the pavilions but for the many other festivities throughout the province. Thank you.