Good afternoon, everyone.
Thank you for the question, Mr. Blaney. It is highly relevant to my work. I joined the Canada Lands Company because they needed someone to manage the Montreal Science Centre and extend its reach.
I'll speak in English. Why not?
Where is the site of knowledge? Here in Canada we are so fortunate to have liberty and freedom to go to school and to advance and to progress. That cannot be done without science and technology, as we all know. Innovation comes from everywhere. The spark has to be given to young kids to decide to go and study science and technology, just like the spark to play hockey, or the spark to play the violin in an orchestra, or to go into public service, or become a member of Parliament as well. Every single person counts in a society. Sometimes, however, we forget that science and technology is for everyone and there is a basic science culture to be had. In order to grow, our society has to continue that. Throughout Canada we have more than 45 centres, some are municipal, some are provincial, a few are federal, that do science and technology
as well as science outreach
to instill that knowledge into people. We have six major science centres in Canada, one each in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa—with which you're most familiar with, I'm sure—and in Montreal. I'm very privileged to be the head of the one in Montreal.