Mr. Speaker, many immigrant volunteers in Canada rarely get the praise due to them. Because they are not yet part of the mainstream, their work goes unreported.
Today I would like to pay tribute to a group of Punjabi seniors who meet in Brampton every week to discuss issues which are of concern to them as a group and to the community at large. Most of them are retired and have small or no pensions, yet these fine men are truly lions. Most recently they financed 35 tents to be sent to the earthquake victims in Pakistan. There was no fanfare. They merely acted upon the teachings of their gurus.
We should be taking lessons from our immigrant communities. Age should be treated with respect. We warehouse our seniors, some in deplorable conditions. We ignore their opinions, dismissing them as out of fashion and we eliminate their visibility when they become an inconvenience.
I would like to name the group members, but there is no time. I am proud to call these Singhs my friends and will continue to seek their guidance in many fronts.