Mr. Speaker, it is a wonderful moment when all members of the House agree that our Canadian athletes brought great honour and pride to all of us as Canadians in their performances and contributions to the success of the Olympics. They demonstrated what can be achieved through dogged determination, a high degree of self-discipline, impressive skills and outstanding teamwork. We need to learn from what we have seen them accomplish.
The sense of celebration was shared widely by Canadians. There was something symbolic about the feeling of pride that Canadians expressed so widely as we watched the wonderful accomplishments of those who won and those who simply contributed their best. For me it was a particular joy to watch the winning men's hockey game yesterday, after the thrill of the women's victory on Friday, with 190 men and women steelworkers who paused in the middle of a very important conference on human rights to join in that celebration. There was a great deal of talk about the great sense of loss of self-respect and sovereignty that so many Canadians have felt in past months because of recent events and decisions by the government.
Let us take the opportunity to build on the sense of pride and self-respect that we all celebrate in the aftermath of the Olympics and move forward with that. It is a moment for us to remember that amateur sports are an incredibly important part of community building. They are about athletics but they are also about community and solidarity building. Let us celebrate and move forward with that same spirit.