Mr. Speaker, today marks the start of a first-ever forum of agents of local development in rural settings at Saint-Germain-de-Kamouraska. Focussing on the theme "Rebuilding the countryside, villages and towns for the 21st Century", this meeting brings a number of rural local development workers and prominent speakers from France, Belgium and Quebec together from September 19 to 22.
This little village of barely 300 people is to be congratulated for its initiative in encouraging reflection on the conditions fostering the development of rural villages and towns.
We are sure that this first forum on rural local development will draw from accumulated knowledge in this field to consolidate the actions needed for a rural renaissance.
Congratulations. We wish you every success in your undertaking.