Mr. Speaker, on International Women's Day, Canadians across the country come together to celebrate the incredible women who build this country and who have built it over the centuries. Whether it is fighting for civil rights, like Viola Desmond, or leading Canada to gold medal glory, like Christine Sinclair, women have played an essential role in crafting our story.
I also think of lesser-known but equally important people, like Tracy MacDonald in Nova Scotia, who dropped out of high school but then returned and succeeded, and now dedicates her life to helping similarly disadvantaged women.
I think of the mother who had me, the mother who adopted me, the wife who agreed for some reason we do not understand to marry me, and of course the daughter who makes my life so much worth living.
Every day, in every way, there is more work to be done to improve equality and opportunity for women, but today is an opportunity for all of us to thank the women in our lives who built our country, and all around the world, for whom we must fight to advance opportunity and equality.