Mr. Speaker, the beauty of the Cape Breton Island coastline enriched by the brilliant colours of its fall foliage has for some time drawn tourists to our area. Our traditional Celtic music, as shared through the artistry of Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac, the Rankin Family and others, has continued to grow and appeal to many beyond our shores.
For the past six years these two great assets have been packaged and presented as one of the country's great cultural festivals, the Celtic Colours International Festival. The festival draws not only from the great wealth of Cape Breton talent, but has also become a must-make week for some of the top international Celtic performers including The Chieftains and Sharon Shannon.
This year's event, which just wrapped up with Sunday's largest square dance in the world, has drawn record crowds and has made a huge contribution both socially and economically to the entire island. To organizers Joella Folds and Max MacDonald, the board of directors and the army of dedicated volunteers who have delivered another exceptional festival, on behalf of all the people of Cape Breton, congratulations.