Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the City of Beaconsfield, a magnificent community on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Montreal's West Island.
The year started with great pomp and circumstance when young Ben Mumme carried the Olympic flame to Centennial Park, where it lit up the crowd and the winter night in anticipation of future Canadian Olympic glory.
Last Friday I had the honour of riding in Beaconsfield's 100th anniversary parade with Mayor David Pollock; his council; MNA Geoffrey Kelley; former mayor Ed Briggs; former councillors Ernie Dahl and Jim Hasegawa; Beaconsfield's first mayor, Joseph Perron, personified by Christian Habel in 1910 period costume; Danièle Bouchard-Serhan, chair of the Beaconsfield 100 committee; Judith Clark, coordinator of the evening's celebration; and Michèle Janis, the city's irrepressible cultural director.
Beaconsfield is known for those values that make a community strong: citizen engagement, caring for others through volunteerism, respect for difference, and concern for the environment.
I would like to invite all of the members to join with me in wishing a very happy 100th anniversary to the City of Beaconsfield.