Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the great things that are happening in Elliot Lake in my northern Ontario riding of Algoma. Known as the jewel in the wilderness, Elliot Lake has undergone an amazing transformation in the past few years, moving from a city dependent on uranium mining to one with a diverse economy, a growing population and a renewed sense of optimism.
Innovative efforts like the ongoing mine decommissioning research and Elliot Lake's retirement living program, which has attracted thousands of new residents to the area, have heralded the dawn of a new day for Elliot Lake.
Due to focused and concerted efforts on the part of Mayor George Farkouh, Elliot Lake city council and other community leaders, a number of promising economic diversification initiatives have been launched which should attract new and promising enterprises to the area.
We must build upon the successes to date to ensure this positive trend continues. I call upon both levels of government and the mining companies which benefited for so many years from operations in Elliot Lake to continue their commitment to work with the community to reach its goal of long term economic stability.