The Balmy Beach Club is a historic local landmark in Beaches—East York, home to the greatest rugby club in Canada. As winners of back-to-back provincial championships in 2014 and 2015, and after a perfect 20-win, undefeated season in 2011, it has the most provincial championships in Ontario rugby history.

My friend, Cory “Applesauce” Appleton, leads the back-to-back champion seconds team, and its under-25 academy team won the Toronto rugby union men's championship last year.

We should all speak proud of our national programs, as two of our teams prepare for the Summer Olympic Games in Brazil, while Rugby Sevens joins the sports program.

This month, our national senior men's team will be hosting a series of international matches in Vancouver, Calgary, and my home town, Toronto.

Let me close by acknowledging Rugby Canada's world-class safe-sport program, PlaySmart, and by thanking Gerry Allen, a long-time Beaches resident for his tireless work promoting the club and the game.

Canadian National RailwayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON

Mr. Speaker, for the past few years, many of my constituents have been involved in an effort to raise awareness of the proposed CN intermodal facility in my riding of Milton. Today, I hope to present petitions signed by more than 4,000 residents opposed to this proposal.

While my feelings on the facility are well known, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the leadership and organizational efforts of the following: Rita Post and Milton RAIL.; Stacey Newman and Milton Says No; Milton town council; the mayor of Milton, His Worship Gord Krantz; and Gary Carr, the regional chair.

It is never easy for volunteer organizations to compete with the resources of a much larger corporation, but these petitions are a testament to their hard work and determination.

I made a commitment to stand with my constituents, and I do so today. I encourage the Minister of Transport to work with our community to help find a solution.

Retirement CongratulationsStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to salute an old friend and colleague, Jim Harrison of CHNL Radio in Kamloops, on his forthcoming retirement as news director.

Jim has led one of British Columbia's most celebrated newsrooms for over 40 years, practically since the station signed on. In that time, he distinguished himself as a leader, the one who moulded many fine news reporters and founded NL's reputation as one of BC's best radio news operations.

Jim's instincts and integrity as a reporter, his deep understanding of the roots of the community, and his story-telling skills, be it for a news item or the daily editorials he produced over all those years, have produced numerous awards for his newsroom, and for himself in 2007, the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award.

Retired, but never retiring, Jim, like so many recovering broadcasters, will still be a presence on the air. I want to take this opportunity to pass on my best wishes for many more years of service and success at Radio NL.

World Eating Disorders Action DayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

NDP

Cheryl Hardcastle NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, June 2, is the first ever World Eating Disorders Action Day.

I voice sympathy for those we have lost to eating disorders and our compassion and encouragement for those battling an eating disorder, and for their families.

About 80% of people with eating disorders are girls or women. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, yet full recovery is possible.

In Canada, organizations such as Windsor's Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association work hard to advance awareness, research, and treatment of this misunderstood illness. The Government of Canada should work with them, allocate more funding for research, and work with provinces and territories to establish a national strategy for the elimination of these eating disorders.

Hodgson Senior Public SchoolStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to acknowledge the 100th anniversary of Hodgson Senior Public School, an outstanding institution that has dedicated a century to nurturing generations of local youth.

Located in midtown Toronto in the heart of Don Valley West, Hodgson opened its doors in the middle of World War I. Since then, it has been committed to serving the north Toronto community, offering unique programs designed to accommodate students from varying backgrounds and learning styles.

I am proud to salute the students, faculty, and alumni of Hodgson Senior Public school for 100 years of exceptional work.

Hodgson, quite importantly, provides students with an extensive co-curricular program, a safe learning environment, and a faculty that encourages students to follow their passions and achieve their full potential. A special shout-out to its music program, especially the percussion section.

Please join me in celebrating 100 proud years of Hodgson Senior Public School.

EmploymentStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB

Mr. Speaker, the hard-working people of Alberta contribute greatly to Canada's economic well-being. However, Liberal and NDP policies have resulted in over 100,000 unemployed Albertans. Let us be clear. These skilled workers are not looking for handouts; they want to get back to work.

One of these hard-working Albertans is Jason Dubrule, an out-of-work oil field worker from my riding who is frustrated with watching investment leave our country because of the government's dithering.

Jason is tired of seeing hard-working families lose their homes and face bankruptcy. Therefore, last month Jason started a campaign to draw attention to the lack of support for our energy sector. He left his home in Falher, Alberta and walked 430 kilometres to deliver his message to the Alberta legislature.

Today Jason has brought his campaign to Parliament Hill as the voice of over 100,000 unemployed Albertans.

I hope the Prime Minister and the Liberal government are listening to Albertans like Jason and will stop dragging their feet on pipelines, while countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia are all too happy to pick up the slack.

Town of Mount RoyalStatements By Members

June 1st, 2016 / 2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Speaker, last week I was joined by Town of Mount Royal Mayor Philippe Roy and the TMR town council as we unveiled a plaque declaring TMR a national historical site of Canada.

The city was designed by Frederick Todd, an urban planner strongly influenced by the City Beautiful and Garden City movements. It was incorporated in 1912 as part of a Canadian Northern Railway initiative.

With a train station at its centre traversed by two wide major boulevards which cut through the town, with setback streets and a ring of parks spread through the municipality, TMR is one of the most beautiful spots on the Montreal island.

Its residents belong to both of Canada's official language communities and represent a broad range of cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.

Like Canada, TMR's diversity is its strength.

Congratulations, Mount Royal.

Festa della RepubblicaStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON

Mr Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Italian national holiday Festa della Repubblica.

Seventy years ago, on June 2, 1946, the people of Italy demonstrated exceptional resilience in the aftermath of the Second World War by voting to establish the modern day Italian republic.

Festa della Repubblica not only serves as a commemoration of that landmark in modern Italian history, but also as the beginning to Ontario's Italian Heritage Month in June, a month long celebration of the tremendous contributions that Italian Canadians have made to Ontario.

Italians have played an instrumental and invaluable role in building strong communities across Canada. Through their ingenuity, hard work, and cultural endowments, they continue to drive Canadian development into the 21st century.

I invite my colleagues to join me in this opportunity to salute the heritage, culture, and values of over one and a half million Italian Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Grazie mille.

Pride MonthStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Karen Vecchio Conservative Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge that today, June 1, is the beginning of Canada's first Pride Month.

In far too many countries around the world lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals are among the poorest, most marginalized members of society, found jobless, homeless, and struggling to survive. In some cases, LGBTQ individuals, as a result of who they are, are rejected by their families, kicked out of their homes, and pushed out of school.

Our nation was built on common values such as tolerance, openness and diversity, and we must continue to be a model of an inclusive society.

As a country, we must show future generations that the best way to advance our shared goals is to embrace all members of our human family, regardless of who they are or who they love.

I implore all Canadians to stand with me in encouraging our LGBTQ brothers and sisters to be proud of who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Maternal and Child HealthStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Yasmin Ratansi Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the privilege of visiting Tanzania to see first hand how the Government of Canada was working with partners like World Vision to improve the health of women and children, while helping communities overcome poverty and injustice.

We saw development aid at work. Communities have been transformed and empowered through World Vision's long-term health and livelihood programs. We also saw that much work remained to be done if the poorest women and children were to have access to family planning, skilled help during pregnancy, and better nutrition for themselves and their babies.

Reaching the sustainable development goal of zero preventable deaths is possible in places like Tanzania. I am proud to say that this remains a top priority for Canada.

I look forward to working with my fellow parliamentarians to increase our focus on empowering the most vulnerable women and children to achieve a high level and sustainable quality of life.

ALS Awareness MonthStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON

Mr. Speaker, today is the start of ALS awareness month. ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, does not have a cure nor an effective treatment. In Canada, up to 3,000 people are living with ALS, and about one-third of them will succumb to the disease, this year.

Last year, the ice bucket challenge raised $15 million for ALS research, but we need to do more.

As we all know, our good friend and colleague, the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier, has this terrible disease. Several MPs and I will be walking in his honour in the Walk for ALS here in Ottawa on Saturday, June 11.

I encourage all Canadians to take part in one of the 90 walks happening across Canada and to support ALS research by donating at ALS.ca.

Please spread the word on social media using the hashtag, #ALSAwareness.

Ambassador to IrelandStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON

Mr. Speaker, I rise for a moment today to talk about a friend of this chamber, our current ambassador to Ireland, Mr. Kevin Vickers, who we all recall, on October 22, 2014, responded in the face of danger and prevented a tragic day from becoming far worse.

He has a lifetime of service to our country with 29 years in the RCMP, eight years as our sergeant-at-arms, and many decorations, including Canada's star of courage.

On October 23, the Prime Minister, then the third party leader, said to Kevin, “...without your courage a terrible situation would have become much worse”.

Last week in Ireland there was a situation that developed at an event. Mr. Vickers responded instinctively to make sure there were no threats to those attending as our ambassador, using minimal force. He responded out of instinct to make sure that a situation did not get worse. He made Canada proud.

Therefore, I ask all members of the House, and I ask the Prime Minister, to show their support for our ambassador in Ireland, Kevin Vickers, here today in the House.

Portuguese Heritage MonthStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON

Mr. Speaker, the month of June represents Portuguese heritage month. The Portuguese Canadian community is a vibrant community that has enhanced the Canadian mosaic with its history, language, and culture. Portuguese explorers were among the first Europeans to see Canadian soil.

My riding, York South—Weston, is home to one of the most vital and vibrant Portuguese communities in Canada. Every year, the Portuguese community gathers in the streets of Toronto to celebrate its history by displaying its sense of harmony and cultural uniqueness in multiple ways to other Canadians.

I look forward to attending many of these festivities.

I encourage all Canadians to take part in these commemorative events in their communities.

Fort McMurray FireStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB

Mr. Speaker, today will be a very emotional day for Albertans as the first group of Fort McMurray residents returns to their city to witness first-hand the fate of their homes.

There is likely not a single Albertan, let alone a Canadian, without a family member, friend, or colleague impacted by the fire. My own cousin, a nurse in Fort McMurray and her husband, a senior airport employee, were evacuated and are now kindly hosted by Edmonton friends. Both look forward to returning home.

Everyone is grateful for the valiant work by the firefighters, from local indigenous firefighters to those from across the nation and the globe, and for the generous donations from near and far.

Recovery will be a long process. Fort McMurray Strong needs a long-term commitment from the federal government to help tackle the daunting task of recovery, rebuilding of critical infrastructure, and fire mitigation. Canadians will be here for them for the long term.

ALS Awareness MonthStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Mr. Speaker, June is ALS awareness month. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a rapidly progressive, fatal, motor neuron disease that leaves those affected in a state of progressive paralysis.

In 2005, my father succumbed to ALS after a four-year fight, so it has affected me personally. All members have witnessed the courage of the member for Ottawa-Vanier as he battles this terrible disease.

Each year at this time, friends, family, and supporters of those suffering from ALS dedicate their time and energy to raise awareness for treatment and a cure. In dozens of communities across the country, the Walk for ALS is taking place to help raise funds for critical research and support.

I encourage each member to wear a cornflower today to demonstrate our support in the fight against ALS so that together we can support victims and families and promote research to find a cure.

Tourism Week in CanadaStatements By Members

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Gudie Hutchings Liberal Long Range Mountains, NL

Mr. Speaker, this week is Tourism Week in Canada.

Let us celebrate what makes Canada one of the best countries in the world to visit. From the breathtaking scenery and inspiring natural surroundings in our national parks to our beautiful and vibrant urban centres, Canada gives travellers amazing experiences and memories that keep them coming back.

The $90-billion per year tourism industry is an integral part of our economy, providing nearly 640,000 jobs directly and over a million jobs indirectly. We recognize that when the tourism industry flourishes, so do the hundreds of thousands of Canadian families supported by the industry. That is why we added tourism as a new category to the building Canada fund, and why we provided an additional $50 million for new marketing campaigns in the United States and other key markets.

As we get ready for Canada's 150th, let us all get out and enjoy our country's awe-inspiring natural wonders, our vibrant cultural life, and support our local economies across our nation from coast to coast to coast.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, today we learned that Canadian special forces recently came under fire in a battle near Mosul in Iraq. This directly contradicts the Prime Minister's claims that Canada is only doing training. On this side of the House, we have been clear that Canada should be taking the fight to ISIS, but it was the Liberals who, for purely political reasons, claimed that all we would be doing is training, insinuating that this would be much safer.

How can the Prime Minister claim this is just a training mission when our troops are under fire?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

What we have said from the beginning, Mr. Speaker, is that Canada has an important role to play as part of the coalition against ISIL. Indeed, training on the ground, advising and assisting local troops, and being able to bring the fight effectively to ISIL and reclaim their lands and territories is exactly what we have committed to do.

On top of that, we are adding extra intelligence and medical support to ensure that Canada has the best impact in empowering local troops to defeat ISIL. That is what we committed to do and that is exactly what we are doing.

National DefenceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, our troops are doing extraordinary work in the fight against ISIS, but the Liberals have put them into a more dangerous mission, tried to call it training, and have withdrawn our CF-18s that are a key pillar to degrade the enemy.

Make no mistake, if our troops come under fire, they should always respond with overwhelming force, but what the government should not do is mislead Canadians about the nature of this mission. It is more dangerous and it is combat.

Is the Prime Minister finally prepared to admit that Canada's mission in Iraq is combat?

National DefenceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the mission in Iraq is support and assist, and that is exactly what it is. It is focused on training. It is not a direct combat mission. It is not a combat mission, it is focused on empowering local troops to counter ISIL, but, of course, Canadian troops will always be allowed to defend themselves while they support local troops taking the fight to ISIL.

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to ram through his change to our voting system without giving Canadians a voice. He has rigged the process to get the results that he wants. Canadians know that this entire thing is a sham and it shows a complete lack of respect for our democracy.

When is the Prime Minister going to climb down from this mess he has created and give Canadians what they want, which is a referendum?

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Actually, Mr. Speaker, on October 19 of last year, Canadians indicated what they wanted. The majority voted for parties that were committed to ending first past the post. That is exactly the commitment we made and that is what we are moving forward with.

Of course, as is our custom and as is our responsibility, unlike the opposition, when it was in government, we will be consulting, working with opposition parties, working with experts, ensuring that we have the best possible electoral system going forward.

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, by limiting the debate to the House of Commons alone, the Liberals are making it impossible for all Canadians to have their say on this. Considering that 73% of Canadians want a referendum, I think that the Liberal Party needs to listen to them.

The Prime Minister mentioned how people voted on October 19. Why, then, will he not let them vote in a referendum?

Democratic ReformOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we have no intention of limiting the debate to the House of Commons, although I do encourage a good, full debate here in the House and in committee. That said, we have also committed to consulting Canadians directly on how to improve our electoral system, and we plan to work very hard to ensure that Canadians play an important role in choosing how we improve and replace our electoral system.