Black History Month in Yukon  Mr. Speaker, Lucille Hunter was a prospector, business owner, nanny, cook, and the first female honorary member of the Yukon Order of Pioneers for her decades of devotion to mining. She and her husband, Charles, came to the Yukon over the perilous Stikine trail in 1897, one of only a few Black families to make the trek north for gold.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of a substantial number of Yukoners. The petitioners and signatories call on the House of Commons to support Motion No. 86, calling for a citizens' assembly on electoral reform. The petition also states that the Yukon signatories would also like to draw the House's attention to the following: The need for electoral reform continues to be a fundamental issue for citizens of all political persuasions.

Christmas in Yukon  Madam Speaker, the Yukon may seem cold and remote, but Yukoners are warmly connected to people and events in all parts of the globe. We know that in these hard times there are many Canadians, and so many around the world, who will not have the luxury of celebrating with loved ones.

Fundraiser in Whitehorse  Mr. Speaker, we are watching with horror the tragedies of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Many Yukoners have expressed to me how helpless they feel in such a dire situation, and everyone wants the daily violence to stop. With this sentiment and in the spirit of peace, leaders of our territory's Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities took action.

Climate Change  Mr. Speaker, even as my constituents weather high prices and tough economic times, they remain deeply concerned about climate change. That is why Yukoners welcome actions from the government to reduce fossil fuel emissions while conserving energy and reducing costs. Contrary to a common misconception, Yukon-based studies have shown that heat pumps can operate efficiently in very cold climates.

Families, Children and Social Development  Mr. Speaker, we know that many Canadian families are struggling to make ends meet. This is particularly the case in Yukon, where more than half of families spend over 30% of their income on housing. The Minister of National Revenue recently made an important announcement alongside Ms.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, since it was imposed upon them, indigenous families and children have experienced racist and discriminatory treatment by Canada's family and children's services. Communities in Yukon and across the nation have always known that self-determination and truth are key to healing and making sure future generations thrive.

World Polio Day  Mr. Speaker, only a few decades ago, polio was a common and much-feared infectious disease. Now we are tantalizingly close to eradicating polio through vaccination. One outstanding polio champion is Rotary International, a key partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which to date has vaccinated 2.5 billion children worldwide.

Financial Institutions  Mr. Speaker, northern communities already face higher costs of goods, like food and fuel, than Canadians in the south, and with high inflation, these costs are building even more. Our government is taking action to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. This week, our government announced new measures to reduce costly banking fees for Canadians.

Truth and Reconciliation  Mr. Speaker, just last week, we learned of 15 potential gravesites at the Choutla Residential School grounds in Carcross, Yukon, echoing the stories and whispers of children who never came home. Last Friday, I attended a potlatch to honour Kaska missing and murdered women. The people of Liard First Nation and Watson Lake gathered in a ceremony that included an achingly beautiful fashion show of young women in red dresses, evoking the unspeakable loss of women and girls, daughters, aunties and moms to many of the people gathered.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the backbone of communities across our country, making up 98% of all businesses and employing two-thirds of Canadian workers, but many Yukon business owners have reached out to me over the past few months outlining their struggles with rising costs while still trying to recover from the pandemic.

National Strategy for the Eradication of Rabies Act  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-349, An Act to establish National Rabies Awareness Day and to provide for the development of a national strategy for combating rabies in Canada. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to introduce an act to establish national rabies awareness day and to develop a national strategy for combatting rabies.

Yukon 125th Anniversary  Mr. Speaker, today the Yukon-led territorial legislature meets in a special session in Dawson City to mark the 125th birthday of the Yukon territory. On this day, 125 years ago, just over a year after the discovery of gold in the Klondike, the House passed the Yukon Act, creating a distinct territory out of the Northwest Territories, a vast region from which many other provinces and territories would emerge.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, we know that a significant gap remains for indigenous peoples living in urban, rural and northern areas when it comes to housing. There is an urgent need to act now. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing elaborate on how our government is upholding the right to housing as per UNDRIP's articles 21 and 23, with an emphasis on the for indigenous, by indigenous approach, and how this recently announced partnership with the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc. is designed to rapidly address the urgent needs and long-term housing challenges of indigenous peoples across Canada?

Copyright Act  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak to Bill C-294, now in its final stage of consideration in the House of Commons. I am also pleased by the overwhelming support received for this legislative initiative thus far. I want to thank our colleague from Cypress Hills—Grasslands who brought this important initiative to the House that seeks to remove a copyright barrier to interoperability, which would benefit all Canadians, including those in my riding of Yukon.