Mr. Speaker, November is National 4-H Month.
For 95 years, 4-H members and leaders from across Canada have shown their pride, spirit and enthusiasm for agriculture, skills development and leadership.
Originally, 4-H focused on farming related activities but today this outstanding organization provides young people with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed not only in agriculture but also in life.
While having fun and making new friends, the skills and values mastered during the 4-H program are key to the development of confident young people.
4-H has provided thousands of young Canadians, like me and many of my rural colleagues, with an opportunity to learn and grow through personal competition and challenges.
A survey showed that involvement in 4-H creates better civic leaders now and into the future.
Each year, 10,000 dedicated 4-H leaders from across Canada volunteer their time to instruct, mentor and help about 28,000 young people become responsible, confident citizens.
The Government of Canada is proud to be a long-standing supporter of 4-H and its programs for our young people.
I congratulate all 4-H members and their leaders for their great work.