Mr. Speaker, I welcome, recognize, celebrate and thank the artists who are with us today, the poets and playwrights, the storytellers and translators, this year's winners of the Governor General's Literary Awards.
Those stout hearts who wrestle with characters and words and story arcs and stories that fall apart and Canada Council grants applications and sleepless nights and cold light of day reviews; wet babies and telephone bills and no money or diapers or printer ribbons; long dry years where no praise comes; kids who ask “why don't you get a real job”, and you asking the same question.
Yet because of it all and out of it all springs new life. A feast of stories rise out of our earth, our precious northern souls to delight us, to lighten us and to move us through the darkness toward the stars.
We thank you, we salute you and we need you, so do not stop, do not ever stop. You are our heritage and our hope.