Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the people and opportunities of the North Okanagan—Shuswap.
While the area is well known for its summertime holidays, with beaches and vineyards, it is also a wonderful wintertime playground. Starting now are horse-drawn sleigh rides, some with theatre along the way, and skating on frozen ponds, complete with bonfires and hot chocolate, warm toes and spirits. People can experience the thrill of our famous champagne powder while snowboarding on SilverStar, heli-skiing on Monashees, or on nordic trails scattered across the riding.
Later in the season there is the Vernon Winter Carnival, the largest in western Canada. With nearly 100 events, many of them free, there is sure to be something for everyone.
However, the biggest attraction is our people. Summer or winter, we will find welcoming faces, making the North Okanagan—Shuswap an amazing place to live, work, and play.