Mr. Speaker, it takes a lot of humility on my part to speak to this topic, especially after the Conservative member for Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake and after my colleague from Etobicoke North, who have family roots in Ukraine and ties to the Ukrainian community. It takes a lot of humility for me, a little Quebecker with no official or family ties to Ukraine, to take the floor and defend Bill S-210.
Why am I doing this? First, I am doing it to collaborate, to convey a message that I have been advocating for since I became involved with the Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group, of which I have been a member since I arrived in Parliament in 2019. Joining this group and getting involved has taught me a great deal and made me realize that Quebec has not been as fortunate as other provinces that have welcomed immigrants from Ukraine over the centuries and decades, for around 125 years now, to come and enrich their communities.
To be perfectly honest, all I knew about Ukraine—and I will humbly admit my ignorance—is that it was once part of the U.S.S.R. Given that it was part of the U.S.S.R., there were probably not many opportunities for this nation to share and promote its history and culture. However, it is important to do so, especially in the current context. I myself have had the opportunity to do so through various encounters. Initially, in 2019, a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020, meetings were obviously a little less frequent. Then came the horrific events of February 2022, which continue to this day and which the Ukrainian people have been enduring since Russia's monstrous invasion: the abuses, brutality and horrors that we see on the news almost every day.
Creating another opportunity to learn more about Ukrainian culture and the rich history of its people, which should be known and celebrated, would likely help us further embrace support for Ukraine in this conflict. The groups I have had the opportunity to meet fall into two categories. Some of these meetings take the form of urgent requests: calls for help and for logistical and financial support for Ukraine as it fights off the Russian invader. There are also other meetings that I would describe not so much as social, but as human, and that are absolutely fabulous. On occasions such as Vyshyvanka Day, we get to discover a side of Ukrainian culture that is utterly irresistible. It is an opportunity to chat with people, young and old, who embrace and belong to this culture, who are proud of it and eager to share it.
I will say it again. Tools like a heritage month are critical in the current context, where the community in question does not get many opportunities to shine and share its great culture. I am sure the Ukrainian community will make good use of Ukrainian heritage month, which would be commemorated every September. It will be an opportunity to share something different, to share Ukraine's wonderful culinary traditions, which I definitely appreciate, as well as its musical and dance traditions, which were mentioned earlier. These are elements that are unique to this culture, but we do not hear enough about them today, and they should be showcased.
I had never heard of the Holodomor before I got involved with the Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group. Ukrainians lived for many years under Soviet oppression, which deprived us of critical and important information that would probably have allowed us to develop a more informed opinion of what this nation and its people are experiencing.
When I learned about all this, I could not believe that these stories were not being shared more widely in Quebec. As I said, we have not had much contact with the immigrant community from Ukraine. That is why, every year on Parliament Hill, I make a point of reminding people how important it is to share information, teach, and tell stories about things we do not want to see repeated. We must remember the horrors that have been committed throughout history.
The things that matter are education, knowledge sharing, cultural sharing and enriching our common culture. When we welcome immigrants who arrive with such a rich culture, we hope that they will integrate and enrich our common culture. That is what a heritage month is all about. There are a few throughout the year. There are several heritage months for all kinds of cultures, but I would say that this one is particularly close to my heart. I think we would all benefit from learning more about this heritage. If people knew about all the beauty, pride and richness of Ukrainian culture and history, I think that everyone in Quebec and Canada would push for an end to this conflict. We would be much more actively involved and much more aware of the horrors being experienced by the Ukrainian people, who have a great deal in common with Quebeckers and Canadians.
Not surprisingly, we strongly support Bill S-210. We strongly support the creation of a Ukrainian heritage month. We will support this proposal enthusiastically and proudly.
In closing, I would like to remind members that we rarely have opportunities for friendly debate in the House of Commons. Generally speaking, we often debate bills that create a lot of tension and disagreement. However, sometimes bills like this one are introduced, and there is general agreement on them. When this happens, I find it refreshing that we can discuss, debate and listen to members from various political backgrounds speak with the same perspective and passion for something that unites us rather than divides us.