Mr. Speaker, today is the first-ever I Read Canadian Day. This initiative was created as a collaboration between the Canadian Children's Book Centre; children's author and my good friend Eric Walters; the Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers; and the Ontario Library Association.
The goal is simple. We want people to buy, borrow, read and talk about Canadian books, whether they are in English, French or an indigenous language. They can be in print, e-format and accessible formats.
We are challenging the nation to read Canadian for 15 minutes today and to share their experience at their library, their school, with their family and friends and on social media with #IReadCanadian.
This celebration of Canadian literature for young people will have a lifelong impact on Canadian youth and help transform an entire generation into lifelong learners.