Mr. Speaker, on October 9, 1867, three months after the proclamation of Canadian Confederation, 167 physicians from the then four provinces of Canada met in Quebec City to establish the Canadian Medical Association. The first president of the CMA was Sir Charles Tupper who would later in 1896 serve as Prime Minister of Canada.
Today the Canadian Medical Association celebrates its 130th anniversary, making it one of the oldest associations in Canada. The mission of the CMA is to provide leadership for physicians and to promote the highest standard of health and health care for Canadians.
It is an honour for me as a physician to commemorate this anniversary and I ask that you, Mr. Speaker, and my colleagues join me in extending our best wishes to the doctors of Canada.