Mr. Speaker, in 1663, Canada welcomed the first 36 “Filles du Roy”.
Three hundred and fifty years later, I must point out the important role they played in building the city of Montreal, and also the import role of women in Canada's history.
On this International Women's Day, I would like to pay tribute to all the women working in my riding: Madeleine Juneau, who promotes Maison Saint-Gabriel; Anne-Marie and Johanne of Auberge communautaire du Sud-Ouest who have been supporting homeless youth for 25 years; and all those working at Madame prend congé, which I will be visiting this evening.
The first “Filles du Roy” arrived 350 years ago. It was just the beginning of a long, great and moving story for all Quebeckers and Canadians.