I rise in this house to inform honourable colleagues of an annual arts festival that just took place in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. From November 19-25, the 33^rd annual Labrador Creative Arts Festival brought together students from across Labrador, as well as visiting artists from across our province and Canada.

The festival gives Labrador students a unique opportunity to spend an entire week immersed in the arts. Under the mentorship of local and visiting artists, students learn to develop and direct their creativity and gain valuable insights into their own creative expressions.

This year, students travelled from all over Labrador to showcase their talents. They produced and performed their own material, which was well-received by people attending the shows. I understand there was standing-room only for many of the performances, which is a testament to the respect and appreciation people in Labrador have for the arts.

Putting off this year�s festival was not without challenges. The classic early winter of Labrador played havoc with some schedules, but once again, the organizers worked around the weather and pulled it off with finesse. One very popular piece came from Mud Lake. This community, located just outside Happy Valley-Goose Bay, is accessible only by boat or snowmobile and has just four students in their school. Their entry this year was an engaging comedy called "The Sister from Hell," which tells of a sister�s return visit to her home community and family.

The Labrador Creative Arts Festival is a tremendous undertaking that requires many dedicated volunteers to be successful. This year�s coordinator was Dorrie Brown, a well-known and respected member of the arts community. I was proud to hear that in May of this year, Ms. Brown received the Arts in Education Award from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council. As well, Tim Borlase, a long-time co-ordinator and the original pioneer of the Labrador Creative Arts Festival, returned to Labrador to assist in this year�s event.

Each year a contest is held among students to design a button that will best represent the festival. Since it was introduced in the early 1980s, the announcement of the winner of the button design contest is a highly anticipated occasion. This year�s winner is Catlin LaPatourel from Our Lady Queen of Peace Middle School in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. I am pleased to provide each member in this honourable house a button of the winning design for the 2008 Labrador Creative Arts festival.

The Labrador Creative Arts Festival provides a means for creative and cultural expression for Labrador youth. This government realizes that the fostering of artistic talent in our youth is essential to their social development. This year, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, was pleased to provide $8,000 through the Cultural Economic Development Program.