First off, I know everyone joins me in congratulating Williams Lake’s own Kayla Moleschi in her bronze medal in the Women’s Rugby 7s at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
This was a historic win for Kayla and her team, given that women’s rugby is making its Olympic debut this year.
Kayla’s Olympic bio notes she first started playing rugby in grade nine at Columneetza Secondary School. She then attended Thompson Rivers University and the University of Lethbridge, where she was named Canada West Rookie of the Year and CIS All-Canadian in 2011. She made her debut with Canada’s Women’s Sevens Team that same year and has been a force ever since! Congratulations to Kayla and her supportive family and friends. The people of Williams Lake, including myself, are so proud of you!
It’s worth noting there are 142 athletes at the 2016 Olympics with a connection to British Columbia. Our government is pleased to support our local talent, investing more than $1 billion in sport since 2001. Good luck to all of our athletes, as the Games continue through Aug. 21.
Meanwhile, our community is also marking the 25th anniversary of the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin— home of the Cowboy Hall of Fame. This is such a special place in Williams Lake, helping residents and visitors discover our local history through more than 8,000 artifacts.
The great staff and volunteers there help tell the stories of our Aboriginal people, fur trappers, pioneers, and ranchers. From rodeos and railroading to forestry, businesses, schools and much more, the museum is a fascinating place to learn about our region.
And that’s exactly what we celebrated at Boitanio Park on Aug. 7. I was pleased to attend the 25th anniversary festivities and Heritage Festival along with so many of you. In addition to the formal ceremonies, there were so many great activities for people of all ages to enjoy, from free tours of the museum to music, games and arts demonstrations.
Here’s to many more years of success for this fantastic local institution!
Donna Barnett is the Liberal MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin.