Mr. Speaker, as we move into the holiday season, I rise today to honour one of the greatest women I know: my mother, Leslie Jean Anderson.
Jean gave birth to and raised seven children. She made every meal from scratch and built our home on a foundation of devotion and generosity.
Like so many women across the country, she is one of our country's unsung heroes. Women take care of their families without pay, often without rest. They invest almost everything—their time, their energy and their hearts—in their families and their communities.
This holiday season, let us recognize these extraordinary women, our mothers, for what they truly are: nation builders.
I wish everyone, especially mothers, in Prescott—Russell—Cumberland and across Canada a very happy holiday season.
Happy holidays, everyone.