Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I inform this House that for the first time in history the Nordic World Ski Championships will take place in our country in Thunder Bay, Ontario from March 9 to 19.
Picturesque Thunder Bay and its hospitable residents will be host to over 40 nations for this 11-day sporting event, including over 800 skiers, coaches and trainers, over 500 international media, over 200 officials and 50,000 spectators. An expected audience of over 400 million viewers will observe the action by satellite, including 31 hours of prime time coverage in Europe.
This spectacular event has been made possible because of the dedication of thousands of volunteers from the area and the continuous support of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and his staff.