Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise in the House today to pay tribute to a Canadian cultural institution. Canadians were saddened at the news of the passing of the Friendly Giant. I express my appreciation and admiration for a man who meant so much to the lives of young Canadians.
Bob Homme created the Friendly Giant in 1953 for American radio. The show was quickly brought to Canada by the CBC and began an amazing run beginning in 1958, ending when Homme retired in 1985.
Who could forget the characters that meshed with the Friendly Giant: Rusty the Rooster and Jerome the Giraffe. We all recall being asked to enter the giant's castle with the infamous series of chairs including the rocking chair in the middle.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, the drawbridge has long been raised on a program that encouraged kids across the land to read, to think and to dream. To quote Bob Homme, the Friendly Giant, I ask members of the House to look up, look way, way up, and say thank you and God bless.