Mr. Speaker, all puns aside, I will carry on here.
It is a great pleasure for me to speak to Bill S-22 which provides for the recognition of the Canadian horse as the national horse of Canada. I am pleased to allow my name to stand as a co-sponsor of the bill. I congratulate the member for Dufferin--Peel--Wellington--Grey for bringing the bill to the House.
It has been my personal pleasure to have attended a number of Canadian horse shows in my riding of Nanaimo--Cowichan on Vancouver Island and indeed to have presented the award to the grand champion Canadian horse on those occasions. These animals are magnificent creatures. They are wonderful examples of equine pleasure for those who truly love horses.
There are several breeders of the Canadian horse in my riding, for example, Dennis St. Denis and others. They likewise have expressed their support for this bill and the recognition it gives to the Canadian horse in our heritage.
The Canadian horse traces its roots back to the 17th century when King Louis XIV sent horses to Canada to the settlers in New France in their effort to clear and cultivate the new land. As members well know, Canada can be a very harsh and unforgiving country. Cold winters and hot, often humid summers are enough to slow down the best of any breed, but this horse comes from sturdy stock. One must wonder what limitations the inhabitants of New France would have faced had the Canadian horse not been available to them.
It is interesting to note that some of the very best known breeds in North America today can trace their pedigrees and their lineage back to the Canadian horse. One only has to mention such well-known breeds as the Morgan, the standardbred, the American saddlebred and the Tennessee walking horse to realize that the Canadian horse has had a deep and lasting effect on horses all across this continent.
They were used as cavalry horses during the American civil war. They were taken to Africa by the Canadian cavalry to be used in the Boer war at the turn of the 20th century. Although these horses proved valiant, they were never returned to Canada. That played a serious role in forcing the breed to come close to extinction on several occasions. Today I am pleased to report that there are now over 3,000 registered Canadian horses in Canada.
In worldly terms, Canada is still a very young nation. Compared to many countries, our history is still relatively fresh. As the explorers set out across uncharted rivers and lands, they associated the new country with the bountiful wildlife they found.
Today Canada is still recognized around the world officially and unofficially by the Canadian beaver, the loon, the Canada goose and the polar bear. Today we have the opportunity to officially recognize the Canadian horse and add it to the list with these other well-known Canadian animals. Perhaps some day the Canadian horse will also grace the national coinage as these other animals do.
Versions of this bill were presented to the House on two previous occasions. Unfortunately on both occasions the bills died on the order paper, as did many other good pieces of legislation when the Prime Minister called an early election. Just as a political aside, I would say one of the frustrating parts of our Canadian democracy is that there is so much power in the Prime Minister's Office. We need to reform the parliamentary practices of our government so good pieces of legislation like this bill cannot be put off.
Canadians are a proud people, however we are also a very quiet people. We do not go out and beat the drum, calling attention to our nationalism and international or domestic feats. Many of us do not want to rise to the level of nationalism that says my country right or wrong as many of our American cousins to the south display. Maybe we could learn a lesson or two from them and apply it in our own unique Canadian way.
We need to rightfully recognize what it is that makes us Canadian. I believe that this is one of those times. This is the time to stand up as a nation and claim what is rightfully ours. Let us be proud of those things that are uniquely Canadian and support them as a means of binding the nation together.
I note in the research provided to me that many people across Canada do not really know very much about the Canadian horse. Many have not even heard about this magnificent beast. However, we here today can begin to change that. Let us find the passion and the desire to move beyond the partisan and sometimes petty politics that we practice in this place and continue to build our nation rather than pull it to pieces.
I ask all members of the House, representing five different parties and every single region of the country, representing different cultures and different lengths of stay, to stand up and be supportive of the bill. Now is the time that we should be able to all agree on something collectively and do something for the common good of the nation.
Will the recognition of the Canadian horse make a difference to some of the other issues that we discuss in the House? In many cases it will not. Perhaps in other underlying ways it can make a difference. By building on the positive things that this nation was formed upon, we reinstill the confidence and pride that I believe we are sometimes lacking in our nation today.
The hon. member for Dufferin--Peel--Wellington--Grey has stolen a line out of every speech that will be made in the House this afternoon by saying that this is the Chinese year of the horse. I agree with him. I can think of nothing more Canadian than recognizing the Canadian horse as Canada's official horse in the year of the horse.
The bill has my full support. I am proud to allow my name to stand as co-sponsor of the bill. I urge all good members in the House to do likewise.