Mr. Speaker, two years ago, on its 175th anniversary, the Rideau Canal system was designated as Ontario's only World Heritage site.
This year, the Tay Canal, which runs between Perth and the Rideau Lakes in eastern Ontario, is celebrating its own 175th anniversary.
The Tay Canal forms an integral part of the Rideau Canal system and is part of the World Heritage site.
Completed in 1834, the canal was funded and built by an enterprising group of local farmers and businesses seeking better access to markets for their products, in the era before the railroads.
Today the Tay Canal is a recreation paradise for boaters, canoeists, kayakers and hikers and runs through one of the best wildlife areas of the Rideau Canal corridor.
I invite all Canadians to join in the anniversary celebrations and explore this historical gem.