Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate International Volunteer Day. Millions of volunteers, almost half our population, donate their time to help others, without accepting anything in return. If we could count the number of hours of service they put in, it would be equal to over 1 million full-time jobs or about $14 billion a year. Why do they do it? Because they want to make a difference.
To celebrate these local heroes, our government created the Prime Minister's volunteer awards last January and I had the privilege of nominating almost a dozen of my constituents: Dr. Cynthia Post of the Procyon Wildlife Centre; Laureen Little of the Alliston Horticultural Society; and George Christie of the Simcoe—Grey Trails committee.
These awards highlight the exceptional contributions made by individuals and volunteer organizations working for the well-being of our families and our communities.
I would like to take this opportunity today to say how proud I am of their continued dedication as Canadian volunteers. We are all richer as a result of their selfless efforts. I invite all members of the House to rise and thank the millions of—