Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I congratulate the volunteers and organizers who once again put on a successful Lieutenant Governor's Winter Festival in Brandon this past weekend.
Even with frigid prairie temperatures, thousands of west Manitoba residents visited the pavilions and dined on traditional dishes, such as Ukrainian homemade perogies, Irish stew and Honduran tacos.
Our winter festival brings the entire community together to celebrate in our rich and diverse cultural heritage. We must never forget Canada is a land of immigrants. From the prairie settler who ploughed the virgin soil to our recently arrived Canadians, many who are small-business owners and flourishing entrepreneurs, we as a people are more united than ever. We embrace our diversity and we remain a country of hope and an example of unity to the world.
As we continue our work here in the people's House of Commons, let us renew our enthusiasm and strive to make Canada the most inclusive and welcoming country in the world.