Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today in the House to recognize Italian Heritage Month. Over 40,000 Italian Canadians live in King—Vaughan, and I am a proud ancestor of an Italian Canadian.
In the 1950s, my grandfather immigrated to Canada and worked as a bricklayer for many years to support his family. He came to this nation with nothing but the clothing on his back and a few dollars in his pocket. My grandfather and numerous other Italian Canadians became entrepreneurs, business owners and community leaders, and as a result of their hard work and devotion, they had a desire to achieve.
Italian Canadians make an important contribution to this country, and they continue to make the riding of King—Vaughan and our entire country better every day.
[Member spoke in Italian]
[English]