Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening I had the opportunity to attend a special session of the Court of Canadian Citizenship in my riding. I would like to thank the minister of immigration for attending. I would also like to thank the Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma for hosting the ceremonies.
In this Citizenship and Heritage Week I would especially like to thank the presiding judge, Judge Pamela Appelt, whose warmth, empathy for our new Canadians and pride in our country were truly inspirational.
The highlight of the evening was the swearing in of Ms. Kim Fouk. Many people feel that the famous photo of Ms. Fouk fleeing her village in Vietnam exemplified to the whole world the horror of war.
It was an honour for me to meet Ms. Nancy Pocock who was there supporting Ms. Fouk. At 87, Ms. Pocock remains as an effective activist and pacifist as she was against the Vietnam war. For her work in the refugee communities in Canada she has been recognized by receipt of the Order of Canada.
It is important that once a year we recognize the importance of citizenship and heritage in this week long celebration. Events such as last evening help us all to pause to recognize how proud we are to be Canadian.