Mr. Speaker, our government knows how important equity in science is. That is why I am honoured today to stand in the House and recognize Canada's Donna Strickland.
Donna Strickland, born in Guelph, is an associate professor at the University of Waterloo and this week joined the ranks of only two other women, Marie Curie and Maria Goeppert Mayer, to win the Nobel Prize in physics. She is the first woman in 55 years to win this prize. Along with Arthur Ashkin and Gérard Mourou, she won the Nobel Prize for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics.
We know that equity and research excellence go hand in hand, and we have played a leadership role in promoting diversity in science. We are now making the largest research investments in Canadian history.
As Ms. Strickland said, “We need to celebrate women physicists because they're out there”. She added, “I'm honoured to be one of those women.”
Today, all Canadians can be proud of her achievement.