Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Restaurants Canada, the leading voice of Canada's diverse and dynamic restaurant and food service industry.
Canada's restaurant industry is a key economic driver and job creator. With 89,000 restaurants, bars and caterers across the country, this industry is a leading provider of that all important first job for youth and newcomers to Canada. In fact, 22% of Canadians had their first job in the restaurant business, the highest of any industry.
With 18 million customer visits every day, the restaurant industry is the backbone of communities across the country, feeding Canadians from big cities to remote regions.
In my riding of Kings—Hants, the industry is an important source of jobs and growth. Next month, Wolfville will host the 4th annual Devour! The Food Film Fest, a celebration founded by Chef Michael Howell that will highlight our great restaurants and wineries.
Restaurants Canada has been a powerful advocate for this vital industry. We wish them many more decades of success.