Mr. Speaker, February has been declared Black History Month in Canada.
To encourage Canadian students to explore, promote and celebrate contributions made by black persons and individuals of other cultural backgrounds, in February 1996, the Secretary of State instituted the Mathieu Da Costa Award.
On behalf of all my colleagues, I congratulate this year's young winners. They have distinguished themselves by incarnating some of these values. We welcome them to Parliament Hill today.
Allow me to mention one name in particular, that of Arianne Matte, of Louis-Riel Public High School, in my riding of Carleton—Gloucester.