Mr. Speaker, on the weekend, the fifth ice sculpture festival in Saint-Côme drew to a close.
This year again, the village of Saint-Côme was literally turned into an ice sculpture museum, to the delight of tens of thousands of visitors who came from all over Quebec and beyond to admire the works of local artists.
This year again, the festival was a success, thanks to the solidarity, co-operation and team work of the organizers, the chamber of commerce, many volunteers and the sculptors themselves.
After two weeks of outdoor events and games, I want to congratulate all those who contributed to the immense success of this young but promising festival.
As honourary president of the fifth festival, I would like to thank the people of Saint-Côme for their warm reception, a tradition in this region.
Yes, Gilles Vigneault was right: "Mon pays, ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver". In Saint-Côme, we are proud of that, and we celebrate that pride.