Mr. Speaker, the goals of Katimavik are simple: to allow young people to develop through community service and to enable them to become aware of their environment by knowing and understanding Canada better.
In other words, Katimavik allows a young person to share the life of a Canadian family in a new community, to live differently, to work for a non-profit organization and, generally, to improve his or her skills in the other language. A real school of life, I would say.
The student work exchanges we initiated in Brome—Missisquoi two years ago must continue and develop along the same lines.
A number of colleagues in this House want to be part of this student exchange program next summer. I head a committee working on this, and I invite suggestions from all my colleagues.
If Katimavik could become the vehicle of choice for this summertime exchange program, I think young people across Canada now and in the future will be thanking Senator Jacques Hébert.