Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, September 22, I had the honour of attending and celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
The anniversary gives us an opportunity to reflect upon the many and varied contributions made by Ukrainian Canadians. I truly appreciate how Ukrainian Canadians have enriched the cultural diversity of our society and their dedication to fostering greater understanding of the uniqueness of the Ukrainian community, thereby encouraging our society to prosper.
From its modest beginnings five years ago the festival has become the largest Ukrainian street festival in North America with some 15,000 people attending. I congratulate the organizing committee and the countless volunteers who worked so hard to make the event so successful.