First of all, Mr. Speaker, it is true-and I cited Montreal, and the stretch of de la Montagne street between Maisonneuve and Sherbrooke in particular, as an example-that every second business is closed down, but let me tell you about Brome-Missisquoi.
In terms of jobs, there are two main areas around the two largest cities of the riding, the first one being the Cowansville-Bromont area, which is doing well, with its IBM plant, General Electric, research and development facilities and so forth.
At the other end of my riding is Magog, with its textile industry and plans for a 20,000-foot expansion in that industry and another 20,000-foot expansion in the plastics industry. That is the situation in Brome-Missisquoi in a nutshell. That is what is going on in this riding where, must I remind the hon. member for St. Albert, the population is made up of 20 per cent anglophones and 80 per cent
francophones and we are all living in perfect harmony, somewhat shielded from the winds of separation.
I have the honour of representing the riding of Brome-Missisquoi in this Parliament, while Pierre Paradis, a relative of mine, represents the same riding at the Quebec National Assembly.