Mr. Speaker, the citizens of Quebec are well aware of the importance of transportation. Much of our history was written by those who travelled by water, rail, road or the airways.
With one of the largest cities in Canada, we understand perfectly the choice of this year's theme for National Transportation Week, "The Urban Link". Just visit Montreal, a busy shipping hub, to see the importance of our urban centres, and how it is essential that they be linked to the rest of the world through a reliable and effective transportation system.
Canada's ports are vital links in the transportation chain. They link Canada's urban economies with each other and with the rest of the world. They are indispensable to the growth and development of urban centres, trade and tourism.
Montreal is also served by one of the most effective public transportation systems in Canada, the metro. On the occasion of National Transportation Week, I ask members of this House to give thought to the great importance of a reliable and effective urban and interurban transportation network.