Mr. Speaker, on September 14, Pierre Vercheval became the first francophone Quebecker to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. After retiring from professional sports, he started a prolific career as a commentator, and since 2002, has been a special adviser to Laval University's Rouge et Or sports team.
A well-known fan favourite, Pierre Vercheval is used to setting records. Nearly 20 years ago, he participated in a training camp for an NFL team, a first for a Quebec athlete. At the end of his career, Vercheval had 212 CFL games under his belt, another first for a Quebecker, had won two Grey Cups and had been named all-star offensive lineman.
Pierre Vercheval paved the way for a generation of Quebec football players. Today, there are about 30 of them in the CFL. For them, and for the many football fans in Quebec, he is a true role model. On behalf of my Bloc Québécois colleagues, I would like to congratulate him.