Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to announce the bicentenary of Rocky Mountain House, a community in my riding. Its 6,000 people are commemorating the important role this town played in the development of western Canada. It was the base from which David Thompson explored the mountains to the west. By 1840, 2,000 people lived there when Fort Edmonton had only 12 permanent inhabitants.
As we celebrate the 125th anniversary of what is today the RCMP, we should recall the role the town played in this important event. Its lobbying helped convince the Government of Canada of the need to create a permanent police force in western Canada. That presence is an important part of western Canadian identity. Rocky Mountain House is also the site of Alberta's only national historic park, a generous gift from the late Mabel Brierley.
I know members of the House will want to join me in saluting its history and extending our best wishes to the people of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.