Madam Speaker, the north shore is a land of extremes. It is a place of great beauty and riches, but where Mother Nature can also be merciless. That is why it produces souls worthy of those extremes. Before winter turned our forests white, 80-year-old Jean-Guy Carrier was paddling on one of our thousands of lakes with his son-in-law when their boat capsized. The two men tried to get back to shore, but Mr. Carrier did not know how to swim.
However, it was his son-in-law who became fatigued and whose body was being pulled to the bottom of the lake. Mr. Carrier somehow managed to pull his son-in-law to shore, with untold strength and courage, the kind that perhaps can only come from love. He was unconscious and not breathing, but Mr. Carrier managed to resuscitate him and bring him back to life.
Like many others, I believe that Mr. Carrier's actions should inspire us all. Our world needs kindness. Mr. Carrier's heart was forged by the extremes of our beloved north shore.