Mr. Speaker, September 25 is an important date in the history of francophones in Ontario because it was on that day in 1975 that the Franco-Ontarian flag was raised for the first time, in Sudbury.
Some 35 years later, in 2010, the Government of Ontario commemorated the event by passing a law proclaiming September 25 of every year Franco-Ontarian Day. This is an opportunity to recognize the contributions made by the francophone community to the cultural, historical, social, economic and political fabric of Ontario.
This is why I am pleased to rise in the House today to extend greetings and best wishes to the Franco-Ontarian community. With over 600,000 members already, our community continues to grow in number and diversity. We have left our mark on the history of our province many times already, and we continue to work actively and passionately on building and developing the Ontario and Canada of tomorrow.
Happy Franco-Ontarian Day.