Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House of a program called "Encounters with Canada". The program was developed by the Council for Canadian Unity, a non-profit organization, to give young Canadians the opportunity to meet and get to know one another, enhance their knowledge of Canada and to gain a greater awareness of our country.
Each year Encounters with Canada welcomes over 3,000 Canadian high school students to Ottawa where a one-week program of studies built around a central theme of Canadian institutions and a sub-theme of their choice.
This week I have the pleasure of welcoming one of my young constituents to Ottawa to participate in the program. James Buchanan, or Jimmy as his friends like to call him, attends Sir Winston Churchill Collegiate in my riding of Scarborough Centre. Jimmy was picked by his school for his outstanding achievement in both academics and extra-curricular activities.
I want to congratulate Mr. Buchanan on his accomplishments and encourage him to take full advantage of the program being offered to him this week. Congratulations, Jimmy.