Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House of Commons today to recognize the hard work of the Grantham Masonic Lodge No. 697 in St. Catharines.
It was an honour and privilege for me to attend a special gala dinner to recognize the 150th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of Canada. This gala celebration raised over $4,600 for Women's Place of St. Catharines and North Niagara.
I would like to take this opportunity to praise the charity work of the Masons in the Niagara district who have also raised thousands of dollars for hearing aids for children in our region as part of the help to hear program.
The Shriners of the Masonic family do wonderful work in their hospitals for children in 22 cities across North America. I commend the hard work of worshipful master Leslie Pirbus and worshipful brother Norman Pemberton, and all brethren of Grantham Masonic Lodge No. 697 for devoting so much time to help others in our community.
On behalf of the people of St. Catharines, I thank the Masonic family whose dedicated efforts have helped to ensure the well-being of countless individuals.