Mr. Peter Dyck (Pembina): This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending and participating in the senior high school and junior Manitoba rural provincial track and field championships. The championship was hosted by the Garden Valley Collegiate in Winkler. I must say that the competition was fierce, and the sense of sportsmanship was admirable. After two days of events, all participants came out winners. Hosting the event did not stop students at Garden Valley Collegiate from giving their all and coming out on top. GVC finished first in the two-day championship, followed by Treherne and Warren. I congratulate all the schools who participated in the championship.

I would also like to acknowledge a few students for their individual success on the weekend: Lenore Friesen, junior girls individual title for most points; Jennifer Towes, senior girls individual title for most points; Blane Pohl, junior boys individual title for most points; and Ryan Billington, senior boys individual title for most points. This weekend competition–

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I wonder if I might ask those members carrying on private meetings if they would do quietly in the loge or outside the Chamber. I am experiencing difficulty hearing the honourable member for Pembina.

Mr. Dyck: Thank you, Madam Speaker. The weekend competition was a combination of hard work and commitment by students, staff and parents. Each and every one of you deserves a gold medal for your efforts in making this day memorable and fun for all. The students, staff and numerous volunteers at GVC were gracious hosts of the track and field championship. Your facility with a new $250,000 track was a worthy venue to host the event. I thank you and commend you for your efforts.

I ask all honourable members to join me in congratulating all of the participants of the Rural Manitoba Track and Field Championships and in thanking GVC for hosting it. Thank you.

Ms. Diane McGifford (Osborne): Madam Speaker, earlier this spring, along with about 150 people, including Mayor Murray and City Councillors Jenny Gerbasi and Harvey Smith, I attended the City Centre Community Board's annual volunteer recognition awards evening. This is an evening designed to honour individuals from our city centre communities who have made important contributions to their community centres. Several industrious, creative, committed volunteers were acknowledged.

This year's Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Larry Schenkeweld, first vice-president of Lord Roberts Community Centre and chair of the City Centre Community Board. Larry received the award because of his long involvement with Lord Roberts at many levels and because of his instrumental role in founding the Lord Roberts Youth Drop-in Centre, one of the most successful in the city. He spent countless hours in creating the drop-in centre and continues to spend countless hours to ensure its sustainability. In fact, his wife assures me, if she cannot find him, she simply phones Lord Roberts.

Larry Schenkeweld is the kind of person who spots a problem and takes action to solve it. He felt that youth in Lord Roberts needed help in focusing their lives and needed direction and an opportunity to test themselves in a safe environment. He set to work and established the drop-in centre. Lord Roberts' people describe Larry as a wonderful, wonderful person. They say kids love him because, though he may take a hard line here and there, he is always fair.

Personally, I want to say that Larry has made a big difference in the lives of many kids and young people. For this reason, I ask members of the House to join me in congratulating Larry Schenkeweld for a job well done.

Mr. David Faurschou (Portage la Prairie): Madam Speaker, this morning I had the privilege of representing the Province of Manitoba and the respective ministers, past and present, of the Education and Training ministry of this province at a launch of Campus Manitoba programming at Southport Aerospace facilities south of Portage la Prairie.

The Campus Manitoba programming is a collaborative effort by all three Manitoba universities, the University of Manitoba, the University of Winnipeg and the university of Brandon in course offerings by interactive telecommunications that offer first-, second- and third-year programming to students outside of the cities of Brandon and Winnipeg.

I would like to congratulate all those persons involved in making this announcement possible; certainly, the involvement of Mr. Dick Dawson, chair of the Council on Post-Secondary Education through his executive director, Leo LeTourneau, as well as Kathleen Mathias [phonetic] from Campus Manitoba under the direction of Dr. T. Patrick Carrabre, senior university officer of Campus Manitoba programming.

Madam Speaker, Campus Manitoba will be operating out of the Southport Aerospace facilities this September, offering young people of central Manitoba the opportunity to pursue their post-secondary education. This will not be limited to those persons just graduating this year. However, I encourage all those who are wanting to pursue their post-secondary education to consider this offering of the course material in Portage la Prairie.

I am immensely proud of the co-operation that I have received from the Southport Aerospace facilities as well as the school division located in Portage la Prairie. The Portage la Prairie School Division in co-operation with Campus Manitoba will provide–

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honour-able member's time has expired.

Mr. Conrad Santos (Broadway): Madam Speaker, the Philippine Heritage Week is a schedule of events starting with the traditional flag-raising ceremony on June 6, 1999, at the Winnipeg City Hall quadrangle, 510 Main Street, with many organizations and groups displaying their banners and later participating in cultural activities. The 1999 Heritage Week is being co-ordinated by a Philippine Heritage Week co-ordinating committee presided over by our honorary Consul-General Dr. Rolando Guzman.

Among the participating organizations are the Knights and Ladies of Rizal, the United Filipino Canadian Seniors, the Original Filipino Seniors of Manitoba, Timpuyog Ti Ilocano Ditoy Manitoba, Filipino Seniors Groups of Euclid Street, Filipino Veterans Association and many other groups and associations.

On Thursday, June 10, about 6 p.m., the Association of Filipino Teachers Incorporated will be hosting a cultural presentation about the Philippines, its country and its people at Wellington School, 690 Beverley Street, corner of Wellington Avenue. On Friday, June 11, starting at 6 p.m., the Bulacan Association of Winnipeg will be celebrating their third founding anniversary at the International Inn.

On Saturday, June 12, at the Convention Centre, the Philippine community will be hosting the Philippine Independence Commemoration Ball at 375 York Avenue, Winnipeg Convention Centre, to start about 6 p.m.

On Sunday, June 13, there will be a Filipino picnic at the Assiniboine Park, 2255 Corydon Avenue, in the Tuxedo area.

The Filipino-Canadians will be joined by many other Canadians represented by all political parties and groups, for this cultural group is truly becoming an integral part of our multicultural province.

Mrs. Myrna Driedger (Charleswood): I am very pleased that construction of Manitoba's first all-season film studio, the Prairie Production Centre, has begun. The Prairie Production Centre, a $7.7-million facility, will bring together all aspects of production under one roof and be accessible year round to local, Canadian, and foreign production companies.

The studio will be adaptable to accommodate three separate productions simultaneously or one large production. The second and third floors will house permanent tenants including production companies, post-production firms or other groups. The new studio will also attract a wide variety of television series, documentaries, TV dramas and movies of the week to the province and will help build a larger local production crew base.

Phase one involves the construction of a 15,000 square foot sound stage with 3,500 square feet of production office space to be opened this September. Phase two will be complete in September 2000. Construction is being assisted with $1.5 million from the provincial government. This initiative is one of a series of steps, including Manitoba's 35 percent Film and Video Production Tax Credit, to build film making into a $100-million industry in the province by the end of the year 2000.

Our government is pleased to take part in this initiative which will help make Manitoba the Hollywood of the Prairies and ensure our film industry grows and prospers. This new studio will not only benefit the film industry but other related industries as well. It is an investment in the future of the Canadian film industry and Manitoba's economy.

Madam Speaker, I look forward to the continued growth of the province's film industry, an industry that will not only tap into the great creative potential of Manitobans but also contribute to the overall health and diversification of our economy. Thank you.

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