Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, volunteerism and civic and community engagement are at the heart of our Canadian values and define my community, Alfred-Pellan. Volunteers were already making a big difference, but the pandemic has put an even brighter spotlight on the minor miracles they have performed for our local organizations. The kindness, compassion and generosity that our volunteers have shown in seniors' home…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has over 1.6 million Canadians of Italian origin. Ours is one of the largest Italian diasporas in the world. During the Second World War, hundreds of Italian Canadians were interned for the simple reason that they were of Italian heritage. Parents were taken away from their homes, leaving children without their fathers in many cases and families without a paycheque to put food …
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Mr. Speaker, artists are creators who share their vision of the world poetically. Today I want to pay tribute to an artist from my riding, signore Edgardo Durisotti. Born in 1929 in northern Italy and introduced to painting and other art forms at a young age, he immigrated to Canada in 1954 to create religious art. Signore Durisotti is one of the few artists to apply gold leaf to church ornaments …
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Madam Speaker, seniors have faced immense difficulties during the pandemic. They have needed extra support to deal with the challenges created by COVID-19. The New Horizons for seniors program is an example of the community-level projects we can fund to make a difference in people's lives. Can the Minister of Seniors please tell us what this program is doing for seniors in my riding and across Can…
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Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Alfred-Pellan, I am very fortunate to have a lot of family farms that feed my community. At the height of the pandemic, these families demonstrated unrelenting determination and great resilience in order to continue providing us with quality produce. On Canada's Agriculture Day, I want to applaud the outstanding work of local farmers. What better way to celebrate our f…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to wish my son Gabriel a very happy seventh birthday. [Member spoke in Italian] [Translation] I rise today to recognize Hooked on School Days, which is being held February 15 to 19. Let us be honest: Our young people could use a reason to get hooked on school these days. It has not been easy to adapt to the many changes education has undergone over the past year. Between having…
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Mr. Speaker, with their paints and brushes, artists make us see our community and our everyday lives through their eyes. Today, I pay tribute to a grande maestro, signore Umberto Bruni, who was born in Montreal in 1914. A painter, panellist, mural artist and sculptor, Mr. Bruni is universally recognized for his luminous pieces. Umberto Bruni drew his inspiration from the beauty of our beautiful pr…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by wishing my colleagues and all Canadians good health for 2021. My thoughts are also with my father, who passed away 16 years ago. Today is Bell Let's Talk Day, which is the perfect opportunity for all of us to talk about mental health. The pandemic is really putting our mental health to the test. The lockdown and curfew in place in Quebec are having a significant imp…
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