Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House to pay a special tribute to the city of Grande Prairie.
This past week the city was recognized as the second best city in all of Canada for small business to succeed.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses lauded the city's pro business environment in its annual survey of best places in the country to do business.
We all know that small businesses are the engine of our economy and we know that our economic recovery is conditional on the speed by which our small businesses grow, hire people and succeed.
I want to congratulate all the small business owners in Grande Prairie who have proven to be innovative, focused and resilient in the face of our economic uncertainty. I also want to pay a special tribute to the city of Grande Prairie for fostering the conditions for entrepreneurs to succeed.
Grande Prairie, and the whole Peace country, really is a great place to work, play and raise a family.