Welcome Indigenous Games in Nova Scotia - Member's Statement

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Mi'kmaq Treaty Day. Today is the first day also of Mi'kmaq History Month and I hope we will all take these next few weeks to recognize the Indigenous roots of our province. One exciting upcoming event celebrating this history will be the 2020 North American Indigenous Games held here in Nova Scotia. This is the first time the Indigenous Games have ever been hosted in Atlantic Canada and it will be the largest multi-sport event ever to be hosted here in Nova Scotia, with 756 Indigenous nations competing in 15 different events.

We are very proud to be hosting the canoe/kayak events on Lake Banook in Dartmouth. Before it was a competitive sport, canoe was integral to Mi'kmaq way of life, culture and heritage and the water courses of Dartmouth, including Lake Banook, have a long history of Indigenous trade routes.

I hope all of you will join me next Summer in Dartmouth on the shores of beautiful Lake Banook.