October 4, 1996
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

Ernest McLean, Minister responsible for Labrador, Sandra Kelly, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, and Stewart Gendron, president of Voisey's Bay Nickel Company Limited are pleased to announce their partnership in support of the Labrador Winter Games as part of the Cabot 500 Celebrations. The event will take place on March 17-22, 1997.

The Labrador Winter Games is the premier sporting event in Labrador. It provides an opportunity for participation that transcends age, gender, culture, financial condition and geography. It lends itself to the development of positive attitudes about who we are and where we live. It encourages youth to aspire to greater levels of athletic achievement and encourages others to pursue an active and healthy lifestyle.

The first Labrador Winter Games was hosted by the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay in 1983 with more than 1,200 participants. Athletes and volunteers have engaged every three years since.

The games would normally next occur in 1998, but have been rescheduled as a component of the Northern Lights Festival. This will be the province's anchor event in Labrador during the Cabot 500 Celebrations. In keeping with the spirit of these celebrations, invitations have been extended to communities that regularly participate in the Arctic Winter Games. It is fully expected that a number of these communities will participate in our games during March.

Stewart Gendron, president of Voisey's Bay Nickel Company said: "We were immediately attracted to the corporate sponsorship opportunity that the Labrador Winter Games provided for us. Our future involvement in Labrador means more than just establishing a mine at Voisey's Bay. It means becoming a member of the community. It means giving back something to the community. It means working as a partner with all of the stakeholders who share a common goal of making the communities in which we live better."

Ms. Kelly said: "I want to acknowledge the generosity and importance of the contribution that the Voisey's Bay Nickel Company is making to these games. As you are fully aware the fiscal constraint that the province is experiencing would not have allowed these games to proceed. It is through this generosity that the games are possible as part of the Cabot 500 Celebrations."

Contact: Cabot Celebrations Office, (709) 579-1997; Labrador Winter Games office, (709) 896-7070.