Bill S-246

Lebanese Heritage Month Act

An Act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month

This enactment designates the month of November as “Lebanese Heritage Month”.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:

Rideau Hall

Ottawa

June 19, 2023

Mr. Speaker,

I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Governor General of Canada, signified royal assent by written declaration to the bills listed in the Schedule to this letter on the 19th day of June, 2023, at 11:47 a.m.

Yours sincerely,

Christine MacIntyre

Deputy Secretary to the Governor General

The schedule indicates the bills assented to were Bill S-246, An Act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month; Bill C-41, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts; Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts; and Bill C-45, An Act to amend the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts, and to make a clarification relating to another Act

Lebanese Heritage Month in Canada

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, last week I was supposed to lead off in the debate on Bill S-246, which seeks to designate November as Lebanese heritage month in Canada. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

I would like to point out the importance of this bill for Quebec in particular, because I am giving my speech today in French. According to Statistics Canada, Quebec's Lebanese community accounts for more than a third of all Lebanese Canadians. They chose Quebec because of the close relationship between the Lebanese people, the French language and the global Francophonie. Lebanon is a prime source of new immigrants, which is important because we need to offset the labour shortage and strengthen the vitality of francophone communities. Also, the first edition of the Lebanese Film Festival in Canada took place in Montreal, which is also home to the Saint-Maron eparchial seat.

I am eager to continue working with all of my colleagues so that we can all celebrate Lebanese heritage month in November.

Lebanese Heritage Month Act

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

moved for leave to introduce Bill S-246, An Act respecting Lebanese heritage month.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour for me today to officially sponsor Bill S-246 on behalf of the people of Halifax West, all Lebanese Canadians and all Lebanese. It has been an immense privilege to work closely with Senator Jane Cordy on this piece of legislation, which complements the Lebanese heritage month bill I brought before the House last April.

This bill is dedicated to those brave women and men who came to this land of opportunities, looking not only to provide for themselves and loved ones, but also to give back to their chosen country, Canada, just like my mom and dad. It celebrates and spotlights our many distinct Lebanese communities across Canada and gives them a new platform to share their histories, culture, language and food traditions with our entire Canadian family. It is a meaningful step that shows those in the motherland that they are never far from our thoughts.

My thanks go to Senator Cordy, members of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and all senators who supported the bill unanimously. I look forward to hearing from colleagues in the House and to passage of this bill unanimously and without delay.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Message from the Senate

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have the honour to inform the House that messages have been received from the Senate informing the House that the Senate has passed the following bills to which the concurrence of the House is desired: Bill S-205, an act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to another act (interim release and domestic violence recognizance orders); Bill S-210, an act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material; and Bill S-246, an act respecting Lebanese heritage month.

Holiday Greetings

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to return to our ridings and families, I rise to give thanks today to my children, all of my extended family, my staff Anthony, Conor, Chris and Sam, all of my interns, and all who have worked to support me and the residents of Halifax West.

I would also like to thank all those who help us on the Hill: the Private Members' Business Office, our committee clerks and all of the analysts and interpreters.

I also offer thanks to the offices of our whips, House leaders and pages.

To all my fellow MPs and my Senate colleagues from all parties, I want to say the following.

I look forward to working together in 2023, and especially as Bill S-246 passes and proceeds to this place. It is a perfect complement to my own Bill C-268 respecting Lebanese heritage month.

I wish everyone the blessings of the season. Let us spread kindness, compassion and love.

I wish my colleagues a joyeux Noël and happy new year.

Lebanese Heritage Month

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in Nova Scotia and in Ontario, November is officially recognized as Lebanese Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the generations of cultural, economic and civic contributions of Lebanese Canadians.

November holds great significance for Lebanese people all over the world as independence day, Eid Al-Istiqlal, is celebrated on the 22nd.

In my own province, the Lebanese presence dates back to the 1800s.

In 2018, I was part of the provincial government that proclaimed November as Lebanese Heritage Month.

Again, this year, celebrations will be held from Yarmouth to Halifax to Sydney. I am proud to have introduced Bill C-268 to recognize Lebanese Heritage Month nationally and honour, share and celebrate our culture.

I am equally proud to work with Senator Jane Cordy on Bill S-246 to do the same. I encourage all members to mark Lebanese Heritage Month in their communities, join our parliamentary friendship group and support these important bills.