Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise on this occasion to offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. Paul Bosc Sr. of Château des Charmes wineries on his investiture as a Member of the Order of Canada.
Paul immigrated to Canada from his native Algeria about 40 years ago and settled in Montreal. Not long afterward, he relocated to Niagara to work for the former Chateau-Gai winery. Paul was its chief winemaker and director of research for 15 years. In 1978 he established his own winery, creating Château des Charmes. The winery now has more than 250 acres of vineyards and was one of the first wineries to cultivate European grapes.
Paul Bosc Sr. has played an important role in cultivating the wine industry in the Niagara region. He helped establish Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute and Ontario's Vintners Quality Alliance or VQA.
As one of the pioneers of the Niagara wine industry, he is a most worthy recipient of the Order of Canada. Congratulations Paul Bosc Sr.