Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the Northern Lights Festival in Owen Sound.
The festival is a spectacular display of lights along the banks of Sydenham River in the heart of the city in celebration of Christmas and the holiday season.
This year the festival has been been expanded to reach the inner harbour and now includes two ferry boats, the Cheecheeman and the Nindayama . The boats and trees along the harbour and river banks are trimmed with Christmas lights which shimmer and are reflected in the inner harbour waters.
The Northern Lights Festival is a volunteer effort that is generously supported by businesses and the people from Owen Sound and the surrounding area. It is a major tourist attraction drawing busloads of people from Bruce-Grey and all of southwestern Ontario.
I congratulate all the volunteers and participants who have made this project such a success. The lights symbolize their hard work and dedication to the festival and remind us all of the true spirit of Christmas.