Madam Speaker, the Séminaire du Sacré-Cœur, a private high school in my riding, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, hosted a group of 10 Ukrainian students for two weeks last fall. The group included eight teenage students who attend the Zaporijia high school in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian youth were paired with Sacré-Cœur students and stayed with their families. During their stay, the young people had a chance to visit the Argenteuil and Petite-Nation regions, explore our beautiful natural spaces and visit local artisans. The students also visited our nation's capital, Ottawa. This was an opportunity for the Ukrainian students to build friendships while also learning our beautiful French language. At the end of their stay, our guests even prepared a few days of meetings and activities.
The international student hosting program at the Séminaire du Sacré-Cœur aims to help our young people learn and develop through these encounters. It was a resounding success for my riding.