Mr. Speaker, I was happy to learn that the Quebec government presented an Hommage bénévolat-Québec award to Mr. Doris St-Pierre on April 21. He has sat on the Val-d’Or Native Friendship Centre's board of directors for 20 years as its non-native representative. He is working to bring Val-d'Or's communities closer together. For Édith Cloutier, executive director of the centre, “Doris is an adopted brother to the Friendship Centre, a man whose commitment goes greatly beyond his active presence at board meetings.”
He has played a leading role in a number of important projects, such as the construction of a new building for the Val-d’Or Native Friendship Centre and the creation of an aboriginal early childhood centre for 80 children. Mr. St-Pierre is also a strong advocate for environmental causes, including, to name a couple, Action boréale Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Organisme de bassin versant Abitibi-Jamésie, which he helped found in January 2010.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, we thank you and congratulate, Doris.