Mr. Speaker, many generations of immigrants have established themselves in Canada by operating restaurants, stores and supermarkets. They provide affordable food and household goods to thousands of families. They hire hundreds of workers and add to the vibrancy and vitality of many neighbourhoods. These small-business owners and workers often work 14 to 18 hours a day, arriving before dawn to pick up fresh produce, toiling in hot kitchens and serving their customers until late at night.
Today, in their busy lives, 25 Chinese business owners and workers are visiting the House of Commons. They wish for better policing support and easier and faster family reunification so that their loved ones can join them in Canada.
Let us work together to make their wishes a reality, and let us celebrate these unsung heroes in our communities and in our House of Commons today.