Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize one of Canada's oldest and most historically significant industries: the fur trade. From Jacques Cartier to Samuel de Champlain, the first nations and the Hudson's Bay Company, the fur trade was and continues to be crucial to our resource-based economy. There are over 60,000 Canadians who work in various sectors of the fur trade, including mink and fox farms, trappers, designers, auction houses, manufacturers, retails, artisans and many more. The fur trade provides income for people in rural and remote regions, including many indigenous communities. I am proud to have a mink breeder in my riding of Long Range Mountains. Fur is a sustainably produced, renewable natural resource with strict animal welfare standards, and it is these standards that produce our world-renowned furs worn and sought after by many. Canadians can be proud of this heritage industry. It showcases our excellence on the world stage.
In closing, I would like to encourage all members to attend the Canada Mink Breeders Association reception this evening in Centre Block.