Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of the hon. members to the fact that this is National Forest Week. Forests and the jobs they create are a matter of vital importance to my riding.
In addition to being a place of leisure and relaxation, forests play a leading role in Canada's economy and represent a source of direct and indirect employment for over 850,000 Canadians.
The Canadian forestry sector generates over $49 billion worth of activity annually. Of this amount, over $22 billion make a welcome contribution to the country's balance of trade.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those who work directly or indirectly at forestry related activities. Thanks to them, we benefit from the important resource that forests represent.