Mr. Speaker, I received a letter from Claude Lebel, president of the Festival forestier de Senneterre, in which he wrote:
We recently learned about the cancellation of your government's sponsorship program. This leads us to fear for the financial survival of our event.
—Last year, we received a sponsorship of $7,500—
For ten years we have gone to great lengths to provide our fellow citizens and our visitors with a top quality event—
—it is never easy to finance such an event, particularly in a region like Abitibi.—
The Festival forestier contributes significantly to economic and social development.—The Festival plays an important role in the community and has made it possible for the Canadian government to inform citizens of its priorities, programs and services.