Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity, as we are welcoming a delegation of parliamentarians from Japan, to point out that 1998 marks the 100th year of relations between Quebec and Japan
Indeed, it was 100 years ago that Sister Hélène Paradis, from the Franciscaines Missionnaires de Marie community, took charge of a hospital, in Kumamoto. Since then, Quebec religious communities have played a major role in the development of Japan's education and health system.
After the second world war, the Quebec government was the first to borrow from Japanese financial institutions. Also, it was 25 years ago that Quebec opened its general delegation in Tokyo.
These 100 years of rapprochement between Quebec and Japan were marked this year, in Montreal and in Tokyo, by a number of activities. Let me take this opportunity to welcome our honourable guests from the land of the rising sun.