Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to pay tribute to our Parliamentary Librarian, Mr. Richard Paré, who will soon be leaving us for a well-deserved retirement.
Mr. Paré was born in the Limoilou area of Quebec City. His grandparents on both sides came from Saint-Joachim-de-Montmorency in my riding. We can consider him a son of Côte-de-Beaupré, the cradle of French civilization in America. What is more, he has the distinct honour of being the first francophone Parliamentary Librarian in the history of the Library of Parliament. He has worked for this institution for 25 years, the first 14 of them as associate parliamentary librarian, and now close to 11 as the Parliamentary Librarian.
Mr. Paré has played an important part in the administration of the library and also in the lives of a number of members of the House of Commons and the Senate. In addition to his strong commitment to the field of political librarianship and information, he has had an equally strong commitment to enhancing the status of the Francophonie within this parliamentary organization. He most certainly has played a large part in the success of the Library of Parliament, which now enjoys an international reputation due in part to his skills and expertise, as well as those of the entire library team.
On behalf of all the members of the Bloc Québécois, I congratulate Richard Paré on his past accomplishments and wish him a wonderful future in a long and happy retirement with his wife, children and grandchildren.