Mr. Speaker, in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada's most Irish city, we are celebrating our Irish heritage.
Last year we started three years of commemorative activities for the official observance of the 150th anniversary of the great Irish famine. More than 150,000 Irish immigrants arrived in Saint John between 1815 and 1880. Many of these immigrants were quarantined at Partridge Island, which is now a national historic site.
Today I want to pay tribute to the Irish community in Saint John and all of Canada.
I also invite everyone here to mark their calendars for June 27 to July 3, 1997, for the major public commemoration of the great Irish famine in Saint John, New Brunswick.
When Irish hearts are laughing, all the world is bright and gay, and when Irish eyes are smiling they will steal your heart away.
After listening to the debate in this House I wish we were all Irish.