Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to speak about a group of students who are here in Ottawa today.
Some 30 students from Como Lake Junior Secondary in British Columbia and from l'école Saint-François-Xavier in Quebec have been participating in a praiseworthy cultural exchange. The Quebec participants first went to British Columbia,
They were welcomed by a host family and encouraged to practise and improve their knowledge of English and of British Columbia. In turn, the students from British Columbia were welcomed into homes in Quebec, where they were immersed in the French culture and language.
These students are living proof of the desire held by Canadians to learn more about their neighbours.
I congratulate the students and their professors for promoting cultural exchanges and for their desire to learn the other official language.
I would encourage my colleagues in this House to follow their example and to show the whole world how Canadians appreciate each others' differences and similarities, and how this makes it the best country in the world.