Mr. Speaker, today is Armenia Independence Day.
Over the course of their history, the people of Armenia have had to fight for a country to call their own. In 1918, they were able to establish the first Republic of Armenia. However, in 1920, the Soviet Union invaded and took control. It was not until 27 years ago today that Armenia was able to re-establish its independence.
On September 21, 1991, the people of Armenia voted overwhelmingly in a national referendum in favour of creating their own country. In my riding of Scarborough—Agincourt, there is a strong Armenian Canadian community. This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the Armenian cultural centre's Summerfest, and it was wonderful to see the vibrancy of the community here in Canada.
[Member spoke in Armenian]