Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on the occasion of National Volunteer Week to pay tribute to the millions of women in Canada who volunteer their time and energy to help others and to support causes dear to their hearts.
National Volunteer Week was first proclaimed in 1943. The leadership role that women's organizations such as the Women's Voluntary Service played back then can still be felt today.
In Montreal, the Centro Donne Italian women's centre continues to work hard. Happily, we are seeing more and more men joining women in volunteer activities, as can be seen from their presence
in organizations such as Moisson Montréal, the Ahuntsic-Sud volunteer centre, the Ahuntsic Lions' Club and the Knights of Columbus.
Let us applaud the efforts of these women and men for the contributions they make to the well-being of our country.