Prime Minister Stephen Harper got a taste of community excitement as he toured the Canada Games Centre today in Whitehorse. The sports facility will be the primary venue for the 2007 Canada Winter Games, hosted in Whitehorse this February and March.

Local supporters of the Canada Games greeted the Prime Minister outside the large multi-sport complex, as he took time to shake hands and speak with the crowd. Harper toured the facility with Piers McDonald, president of the 2007 Canada Games Host Society, and met the three Canada Games mascots.

“We are proud of the new sport complex, which is the largest in the north, and we were pleased that Mr. Harper was able to show his support for the Games,” said McDonald.

The Games are Canada’s premier multi-sport competition, and are held every two years alternating between summer and winter. They showcase our nation’s top elite amateur athletes, many of who will go on to represent Canada at the international level. The 2007 Games will be a major competition for many young athletes on their way to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

The 2007 Games will mark the 40th anniversary of the Games and the first Canada Games ever held north of the 60th parallel. For two weeks – February 23rd to March 10th – more than 3,600 athletes, coaches and managers will gather in Whitehorse to compete in 22 sports.