Mission Staff Named for Team Nova Scotia 2007

A mission staff of 14 volunteers has been chosen to support Team Nova Scotia for the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

The Games will be held from Feb. 23 to March 10 in Whitehorse, Yukon. About 297 Nova Scotia athletes, coaches, managers, and artists are expected to participate.

"Nova Scotia has a reputation for recruiting talented and experienced volunteers for the Games. This group is no exception," said Barry Barnet, Minister of Health Promotion and Protection. "Our mission staff is key to our team's success and I know that this group will work hard to serve our athletes and coaches well."

Mission staff co-ordinate the participation of Team Nova Scotia in each Canada Games. They help prepare athletes, coaches and managers, assist with registration, arrange transportation and provide support throughout the event.

"We have individuals with previous Games experience, and enthusiastic new volunteers -- an impressive group of community leaders," said chef de mission Susan Beazley. "Together, we will aim to run Team Nova Scotia with the spirit of competitive co-operation that we're known for."

Ms. Beazley, of Halifax, has been leading students at Armbrae Academy in physical education and amateur sport for 29 years. She competed at the Canada Games in 1973 and 1977 on Nova Scotia's field hockey team. She was a member of the 2001 Games mission staff and assistant chef de mission in 2005.

Ron O'Flaherty, of Hubbards, former executive director of the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation, will add assistant chef de mission to his own amateur sport resume. Mr. O'Flaherty will assume the chef de mission position for the 2009 Summer Games on Prince Edward Island.

Ms. Beazley and Mr. O'Flaherty will lead 12 volunteer mission staff from across Nova Scotia:

• Sharon Daikens, Halifax
• Karen Decker, Halifax
• Darlene Deveau, Pomquet
• Remi Deveau, Pomquet
• Joni Henderson, Dartmouth
• Mike Law, St. Margaret's Bay
• Joe Macdonald, Dartmouth
• Bruce MacArthur, New Minas
• Mike MacInnis, North Side East Bay
• Melissa MacKinnon, Halifax
• John Muir, Halifax
• Shawn Smale, Truro.

Many of these volunteers have served on mission staff, coached or competed in previous Games.

The Canada Games is the country's largest amateur multi- sport event. More than 3,600 athletes, coaches and managers will gather in Whitehorse to compete for a total of 1,122 medals in 22 sports.