Mr. Speaker, this week the chambers of commerce across Canada are celebrating the success in retail business in Canada.
The retail sector in Canada is big business. There are 1.7 million Canadians working in retail. Retailers sell over one quarter of a trillion dollars of goods every year. That is more than $9,000 for every man, woman and child in the country.
The retail sector is the very fabric of our national economy. At a time when Canadians are feeling less certain about events related to September 11 we must ensure that we reach out and support this important sector.
I salute the retailers of every community from the one store towns to the corporate businesses of our large cities. I would like to provide a warm welcome to the members of the Retail Council of Canada who are with us in the House today for its special “Retail Connects with Ottawa Day”.