Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Yolande Bélanger, who is celebrating 34 years of service at the Sainte-Anne parish in Mattawa.
Ms. Bélanger initiated a French language choral group. She worked for the mill for a long time and is a valued member of the Fédération des femmes canadiennes françaises. Above all, she has always defended francophone rights and culture in Mattawa and throughout Ontario.
It is thanks in large part to the efforts of Yolande Bélanger that Mattawa now has a French language secondary school. Ms. Bélanger, the mother of our esteemed colleague, the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier, just celebrated her 82nd birthday.
On behalf of the people of Nipissing—Timiskaming, I want to thank Yolande Bélanger for all the work she has done over the years in her parish and its surroundings. Happy retirement Yolande, you deserve it.