Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional teachers receiving the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence in my beautiful riding of Oakville West. This award celebrates the achievements of educators who go above and beyond. These are leaders in the classrooms, mentors and coaches who support our children throughout their journey and who take the extra step and exceed the curriculum to help students succeed. To date, this award has honoured over 2,300 teachers and is considered Canada's highest honour for teachers teaching in early, primary and secondary education.
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Phi Tran and Mr. Vittorio Iafarte, recipients of the regional certificate of teaching excellence, and Mr. Kevin Carter, who has been awarded the regional certificate of teaching excellence in STEM. I thank them for their exceptional contributions to help build the foundations children need to make the best start possible in life.