Madam Speaker, the Yukon may seem cold and remote, but Yukoners are warmly connected to people and events in all parts of the globe. We know that in these hard times there are many Canadians, and so many around the world, who will not have the luxury of celebrating with loved ones.
As we celebrate Christmas and other traditions, may we keep those who are dealing with violence and poverty in our hearts and minds.
Let us, as parliamentarians, rest, reconnect and come back ready to work for Canadians and for Canada's place in the world. Neither justice nor peace should face boundaries.
In The Spell of the Yukon, Robert Service describes how, despite the gold, Yukon's true value lies elsewhere:
It’s the great, big, broad land ’way up yonder,
It’s the forests where silence has lease;
It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder,
It’s the stillness that fills me with peace.
That is the Yukon I cannot wait to return to and enjoy with my family. I wish for everyone in the House and for all my constituents at home to have a joyful and peaceful holiday.