Mr. Speaker, Best Buddies is an international program that has operated for over 50 years and now has 2,500 chapters worldwide. Today, I rise to speak about one of them. Niagara's chapter of the Best Buddies program partners with students at Brock University, and provides opportunities for members like Stephanie Smith to participate in monthly outings and activities, including trips to the local hockey arena to cheer on our lceDogs, trips to Heartland Forest to learn about our natural environment and even an annual trip to Toronto to attend a theatrical production.
Stephanie met with me earlier this year to highlight how much Best Buddies means to her, her friends and the many students at Brock University. The Brock chapter of Best Buddies was established in 2008. The program pairs adults who have intellectual disabilities with students at Brock University to help build friendships, expand networks and participate in monthly activities. In Niagara, the chapter of Best Buddies is coordinated by Community Living St. Catharines, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for helping to make this great program possible.