Mr. Speaker, in that spirit I have the pleasure to rise today to congratulate the musicians of Atlantic Canada on the occasion of the 12th annual East Coast Music Awards in Sydney last Sunday night.
The evening was a terrific celebration of traditional and contemporary music emerging from the east coast. Great Big Sea, An Acoustic Sin, John Gracie, Glamour Puss and Natalie McMaster were among the big winners of the evening as were Morning Star, the Nova Scotia Mass Choir and John Curtis Sampson.
Music has long been important in defining who we are in Atlantic Canada, so it is gratifying to see so many of our artists rise to the top.
Congratulations to the honoured artists. As J. P. Cormier said upon accepting his award, when one of us wins, we all win.