Mr. Speaker, 125 years ago in 1872 the town of Tillsonburg in my riding of Oxford was incorporated by the province of Ontario at the request of South Oxford's MPP Adam Oliver and Tillsonburg's premier citizen, Mr. E. D. Tillson.
Although the town has changed a great deal in 125 years, the spirit of the people of Tillsonburg has not. The resourcefulness and enthusiasm of the town's founders are still present in all areas of the town's life today.
Tillsonburg abounds with volunteers who are assisting in sports, arts, service clubs and church groups. To live in Tillsonburg is to be part of a family that looks out for each other and cares about each other. It has everything that a city does with the charm and safety of a small town.
Tillsonburg would like to invite all Canadians to the festivities scheduled for its 125th anniversary in 1997, the year in which its past touches its future.