Mr. Speaker, Winnipeg welcomed the Canadian music industry with open arms last week, as the 2014 Juno Awards rocked Manitoba's capital.
Juno week showcased the exceptional talents of Canadian singers, songwriters, composers, musicians, entrepreneurs, and other music professionals, and came to an exciting end last night with the awards broadcast.
I would like to share a couple of interesting facts with my hon. colleagues. Canada is the world's third-largest exporter of musical talent, and the Canadian music industry generates close to $3 billion a year in economic activity.
I am proud that our government values the incredible artistic talent we have in this great country and that we recognize the critical importance of the Canadian music industry. In fact, budget 2014 includes permanent funding for the Canada Music Fund, demonstrating our commitment to a thriving Canadian music industry.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of this year's nominees and award winners. They have certainly made Canada and all of us very proud.