Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to rise to pay tribute to the 150 extraordinary Labradorians who were honoured this past week across Labrador. In celebration of Canada 150, I launched the Labradorians of Distinction awards as a way to acknowledge the contributions of Labradorians to their communities. Through an independent process, Labradorians were nominated and selected, and 150 incredible people, both living and deceased, were honoured for their contributions to our culture, history, economy, and environment.
A diverse culture of indigenous peoples and settlers from around the world make up Labrador. When I think of these people who have moulded our great home, I see only the faces of hard-working, resilient, creative, and genuine people. From the people who walked the land in moccasins to those who came in uniform to serve, from those who sailed the Labrador Sea to those who dug the first iron ore, and from those who harpooned their food from the ice to those who opened their first modern facilities, we—