Mr. Speaker, Fernand Trahan, a businessman from my riding, just finished crossing Quebec's northern region from west to east, covering 4,000 kilometres alone on his snowmobile.
Mr. Trahan, who started his expedition in February and recently made it back to Val-d'Or told us: "It was hard, but I always believed I would succeed".
Mr. Trahan deserves the congratulations of this House for his achievement, having survived the cold, blizzard conditions and wolves. He also deserves our admiration for his courage and his desire to surpass himself.
His trip did not go unnoticed among Inuit people. They welcomed him and he had the pleasant surprise of being able to speak to them in French, which is the second language chosen by many young Inuit.
Regions whose environment and climate are harsh build strong people. Mr. Trahan is one of them and he is a model for all residents of the Abitibi region.