Mr. Speaker, with summer fast approaching, I want to invite all my colleagues and all Canadians to come and see, taste and hear all the wonderful things life has to offer in the Papineau region in the Outaouais. It is an outstanding part of my riding.
In fact, I just want to name some of the local winners of the 2013 Grands Prix du tourisme de l'Outaouais: Outaouais Rock, in Montebello; Fromagerie les Folies bergères, in Saint-Sixte; Jardins d'Emmarocalles, in Ripon; and Auberge Petite-Nation, in Saint-André-Avellin. Those last three are finalists in the national grand finale of the Canadian Tourism Awards.
On May 18 and 19, the Route 148 festival and its huge garage sale kick off the summer season in Papineau. This event celebrates the highway that links neighbouring municipalities together. During the first weekend of June, the Jours J-BMR outdoor festival will attract hundreds of cyclists to the region.
Papineau's volunteers, local businesses and local officials all deserve a big round of applause for their hard work in making “la Petite-Nation” a region not to be missed.