Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a pleasure to welcome today the warden of Renfrew County, Barry Moran. I know that Warden Moran would want me to tell you that Renfrew county is the most scenic and largest geographic county in Ontario.
Bordered by the indomitable Ottawa River on the north, by the picturesque Algonquin Park on the south, by the lovely Laurentian lowlands and Arnprior to the east, and the mighty Mattawa plains to the west.
In the great county of Renfrew, we have traditional lumbering and farming industries which have been the mainstay for over 150 years. Our economy has been diversified for the 21st century, from high tech to manufacturing, to tourism. We capitalize on the talent of our people and the natural beauty of our land.
We also have two major federal institutions, CFB Petawawa and Atomic Energy of Canada at Chalk River.
Renfrew County and the riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke is a microcosm of our great country Canada. We embrace and explore our cultural and ethnic differences. We cherish and celebrate our heritage, as should all Canadians.