Mr. Speaker, this weekend my riding of North Vancouver is host to the annual North Shore Culture Days, which run from September 26 to 28.
This fun-filled event is part of a larger national movement in 800 communities from coast to coast to coast that will engage 5.5 million Canadians in arts and culture.
During these culture days, we can join workshops in painting, dancing, singing, and much more. We can also get behind-the-scenes tours of prominent local spots, like the North Vancouver Museum and Archives, which I had the pleasure of recently visiting twice to announce federal funding.
First, I announced our government's support to safeguard more than 20,000 artifacts as they are prepared to be moved to an exciting new location in North Vancouver's historic shipyards. Then I was back to announce funding for the digitization of an invaluable record of our history, the diary of Lynn Valley's own Walter Draycott, which chronicled his experiences in World War 1.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War, the museum is posting these entries online, one century to the day after each one was written.
Culture is who we are, and these events will get us thinking and moving. I encourage all to attend.