Mr. Speaker, we are all reminded daily of the vigilance required to rid our society of hatred and discrimination.
Just this month, in my own constituency, the Ashkenazi Synagogue was vandalized in what may have been an act of anti-Semitism.
In the midst of such acts of vile hatred come voices of peace and acts of courage, and it is from the youth of our land that we see the path forward.
Today, in my constituency, the students and staff of Maple Collegiate have just completed a 12 kilometre walk against racism. This is the 11th annual march organized by the Maple Unity Group which was recently awarded the Sybil Shack Memorial Human Rights Youth Award.
In another part of my constituency, Shaughnessy Park students wrote and produced, for the fifth time, an award winning video in the National Stop Racism Video competition. This video, Don't be the One, makes us all question our own prejudices.
Just last month, I witnessed the peace symposium for Grade 4 students at the Ecole James Nisbet Community School. They said, “The seeds of peace grow here and inspire us all to live the message: Let peace begin with me and let it begin right now!”