Mr. Speaker, on this first day of Black History Month, I stand before the House as a proud representative of a treasured area that was a destination on one of the southwestern Ontario routes of the Underground Railroad and that has been home to many pioneers, past and present, of civil rights and human rights in Canada.
This is a poignant time to recognize those who worked to build a more just society. I salute people like Glen Cook and Ken Turner, who preserve and honour the burial sites of our country's earliest black settlers, and like Elise Harding-Davis, local historian and author, and Irene Moore Davis, president of the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, who both work to preserve, promote, and educate the public about our rich African-Canadian heritage.
We are grateful for such valued individuals like these who advance our society by increasing our understanding and appreciation of the significant contributions made to our country by Canadians of African descent.