Mr. Speaker, this is the time of year in the national capital region when we enjoy the brilliant colours of the tulips throughout the city of Ottawa.
This weekend marks the start of the Canadian Tulip Festival.
Since 1953 we have celebrated the arrival of spring every year with this festival. This great event originated in 1945 when Princess Juliana of the Netherlands donated over 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada. This was a gesture of thanks for providing the Dutch royal family with safe haven during World War II and for the role Canadian forces played in liberating the Netherlands from the Nazis.
This year Great Britain will co-sponsor the festival which will be launched with a 46 metre tulip balloon on Parliament Hill. We invite all Canadians to participate in the music and activities and to enjoy the colourful display of millions of tulips.