Madam Speaker, for the past year now, I have had the honour of being the member for Laurentides—Labelle.
Our region is full of magnificent landscapes, and has no shortage of events and tourist attractions on offer. It spans nearly 20,000 square kilometres, or 40 times the size of the Island of Montreal.
Our ski hills, nine regional and provincial parks, six controlled hunting zones, two wildlife reserves and 43 outfitters, and the thousands of lakes and rivers and thousands of kilometres of trails for biking, hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling — this is what we are known for.
First and foremost, the success of our region comes from our warm, welcoming communities and the service and enthusiasm of our tourism workers and managers.
In the context of Small Business Week and as the beautiful summer and fall seasons come to a close, I want to tip my hat to all those who keep the tourism industry alive in our region, which Father Labelle referred to as the Switzerland of Canada.