Mr. Speaker, next Monday, Quebeckers will celebrate National Patriots Day, a day that commemorates the dedication and sacrifice of the patriots of 1837-38. The Rassemblement pour un pays souverain, a Quebec sovereignty coalition, organizes the annual Gala des patriotes, which will be held on May 16 in Montreal and on May 19 in Quebec City. Prizes awarded during the gala highlight the contributions of individuals who have helped advance the sovereignty movement.
The Montreal gala will honour activist Umberto Di Genova and singer Paul Piché. The Quebec City event will honour Lise Payette, who will be receiving the Marie Victoire Félix Dumouchel prize, and the former premier of Quebec, René Lévesque, who will be awarded the Louis Joseph Papineau prize posthumously.
My Bloc Québécois colleagues and I wish to congratulate the honourees, and we want them all to know that we are here for Quebec.