Madam Speaker, today, I stand to congratulate a young man in my riding of Yorktown—Melville. Jake Soltys, a grade 11 student from Sturgis Composite School, wrote a Remembrance Day poem that pays homage to our fallen heroes, entitled A Tribute to the Brave. Jake's poem won at the local, zone, district and provincial levels. He then went on to receive first place on the national level, winning a prize and a trip to Ottawa for this year's national Remembrance Day service.
A portion of his poem reads:
In Flanders Fields the poppies grow
To remind us of the debts we owe.
On Remembrance Day we stand as one,
To remember those whose battles are done.
I am so proud to represent Canadians who remember the sacrifices for our freedoms that were so valiantly defended and fought for. I am extremely proud of our young community members like Jake who honour that legacy.
Congratulations to Jake. I am sure his trip to Ottawa on Remembrance Day 2024 will be memorable.
Lest we forget.