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INUVIK - A new partnership was announced Thursday between the territory and the winter game's organizing committee, which is hoped to bring more exposure to the NWT by showing off our culture.

Premier Floyd Roland and Taleeb Noormohamed, of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, broke the news on the steps of the rec centre in front of plenty of fanfare as mobs of students from both Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and Samuel Hearne Secondary School showed up. The Vancouver 2010 mascots Quatchi, Miga and Sumi also came along for the ride.

From left, Delanie Elias, Dawson German and Brandon Picek enjoy a group huddle with the 2010 Winter Olympic Games mascots on Thursday. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Plenty of community leaders arrived with words of encouragement, including Robert McLeod, Twin Lakes MLA; Mayor Derek Lindsay; Richard Nerysoo, Gwich'in Tribal Council president; and Nellie Cournoyea, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation CEO and chair.

Among other things, the agreement will mean an NWT Day at the 2010 Winter Games, which will promote the territory by providing opportunities for artists of all types to showcase their work on a world-wide scale. In return, the NWT is making a financial contribution to the 2010 Games. The government has pledged $2.5 million.

The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers, who gave a spectacular performance at Thursday's event, hope to perform at the Olympics after a recent performance audition in front of Olympic staff in February.

Roland said the money will be well spent.

"We have an international stage in front of us," he said. "I think it makes sense to do this kind of work so we can showcase the Northwest Territories. If it brings more tourism to the NWT, if it makes people more knowledgeable about who we are, the people we are across the territories, it only does good to help us."

Lindsay agrees, and he's hoping to have as much local representation at the winter games as possible.

In the meantime, he's expecting the community will support upcoming activities promoting the torch's arrival.

So far, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon and P.E.I. have made similar agreements with the 2010 Olympics committee.