Mr. Speaker, it gives me immense pleasure to pay tribute to Jean-Yves Phaneuf and Mark Chaplin, who received the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers from the Governor General of Canada this morning for their outstanding volunteer contributions to my riding of Shefford.
Mr. Phaneuf has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to promoting youth soccer. He is the founder of the Cosmos de Granby soccer club and the driving force behind Canada's biggest soccer tournament. He has been inducted into the Quebec soccer hall of fame.
Mr. Chaplin has been volunteering with the Navy League of Canada since 2009, where he fosters and maintains the well-being of the cadet corps of the municipality of Valcourt. He was honoured for his tireless dedication to helping youth in our region.
Mr. Phaneuf and Mr. Chaplin, who are here in Ottawa this afternoon, fully deserve these commendations for their contributions to helping youth in our community. I want to extend my warmest congratulations to them and thank them for their great generosity.