Williamstown was named in honour of Sir William Johnson who was the leader in the Mohawk valley of the United States. The town was named by his son Sir John Johnson when he came to Canada as the leader of the United Empire Loyalist refugees, as they were known then, and the Mohawks. He was the leader of both. He came with them to Canada and named the town in honour of his father.
This is just one example of a strong, important cultural and historical site in the constituency that I represent. I have always thought that if Williamstown had been in the United States, not that I wished it were there, it probably would have been the equivalent of Gettysburg, a very important site. My point is that it is virtually unknown to many Canadians.
As Canadians we have not recognized the importance of many of the sites such as that, the artefacts and knowledge that is historical and cultural in its content.
Today we are discussing a bill which is not necessarily related to history, although I suppose it could be in the case of publications of that nature. However in a general sense it speaks to an issue which we should all stand up for today as Canadians, to the extent that we can in the House. I am speaking of the protection, preservation and enhancement of our culture and our heritage. I hope we will all do that later today when we vote on this bill.