Mr. Speaker, last week was National Volunteer Week. Fittingly, the Governor General presented the sovereign's medal for volunteers to what he described as the team Canada of volunteers.
I was honoured to attend the ceremony, as one of the 55 recipients from across Canada is a pillar of the community in Hampton in Fundy Royal, Jim Hovey.
Mr. Hovey has worked tirelessly in the community of Hampton for more than 30 years. Most notably, he served eight terms on Hampton town council, five of those as mayor. As is the case with many volunteers, he also gave his time freely to many other community organizations and played an instrumental role in the creation of a community theatre.
In fact, he continues to serve the community now. Since his retirement in 2008, he has volunteered on the town's health care and public works advisory committees.
Mr. Hovey is a true inspiration to the community and to all Canadians. I am proud to stand here today to honour, congratulate, and thank him for his continued contributions.