Debates of Dec. 9th, 2025

Ukrainian Heritage Month Act

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his remarks. I am fortunate to work with him and other colleagues on the Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group. He is a great ally of Ukraine and the Ukrainian cause. I sincerely thank him for his work and his efforts.

With respect to his question, I think it is important to celebrate Ukrainian heritage because it is an important part of Canadian multiculturalism. I think it is especially important right now, as Ukrainians are fighting to defend that heritage. I thank my colleague for his support.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I do not have a question. I just want to make a comment that I think is necessary.

I want to commend the hon. member not only for his speech on what I believe is a very important issue, and I think that I join all members in the House in saying that we look forward to voting in favour of that, but also for his steadfast work in advocating for the support of the people of Ukraine. He is among a select few members of the House who have been steadfast and who have never stopped advocating and fighting to bring the voices of the people of Ukraine here to the House. I want to thank him for that, not only as the member of Parliament for Vaudreuil but on behalf of all members of the House.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his kind words. I want to say that the work Canada is doing on Ukraine is a result of the work of many members. It is a real team effort. I want to thank him and other colleagues for their support. We would not have gotten here without that. This is a team effort. It is in Ukraine's interest. It is the right thing to do, but it is in our interest. We have to make sure the Ukrainians win.

I thank colleagues for their support.

[Jonathan Rowe, Conservative, Terra Nova—The Peninsulas, NL]

Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of talk about Ukraine and Russia, and how Canada has been supporting Ukraine in that war. Newfoundland and Labrador has a great opportunity to be able to provide oil and gas to the rest of the world, including Germany. Councillors from Germany came to Newfoundland and Labrador looking for natural gas, and the Liberal government said that there was no business case for it.

Will the Liberal government repeal Bill C-69?

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there are two points I would make. First of all, Canada actually, in the last government, enabled the pumping of much more natural gas to global markets, which ultimately helps ensure the gas gets to Europe and other allies, brings the price down for our European allies and gets the supply up. Second, the Prime Minister signed an agreement with the Premier of Alberta for an MOU for a pipeline. Therefore, we are working on energy and we are working on supporting Ukraine.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the friendship and the ties between Canada and Ukraine are deep and historic. The first recorded arrival of Ukrainians to Canada took place in the month of September, more than 125 years ago. In the decades that followed, many more Ukrainians made the journey to Canada in search of opportunity. While they settled in communities across the country, their mark is particularly significant on the Prairies.

Living in difficult conditions and enduring harsh prairie winters, they worked tirelessly to build new lives and communities. They cleared farmlands, built churches and schools, raised families and helped shape many of the prairie towns and villages that still stand today. For generations, Ukrainian Canadians have played a foundational role in building not only the Prairies but also the very fabric of our nation. They have enriched Canada's social, economic and cultural life by founding businesses, contributing to local economies, advancing the arts, preserving their language and traditions, and strengthening the civic life of their communities.

Canadians of Ukrainian heritage have also defended our nation and our values in combat. In fact, Ukrainian Canadians enlisted in great numbers to fight for Canada in the Second World War. Their enlistment rate was the highest of any ethnic group outside those of British descent. In a country like Canada, where hockey occupies such a big place in our hearts, they also brought victories on the ice, with names like Wayne Gretzky coming to mind.

A proud Canadian of Ukrainian heritage, I am actually a great-granddaughter of Ukrainian immigrants who settled in southeastern Saskatchewan, on both my mother's and my father's sides. They are the ones who helped plow the land and helped clear the bush. I recall the stories of my grandparents, and even of my parents, who would recall the times when they would be in the field picking stones by hand. It was something we were often threatened with when we were younger, that we would have to go out and pick stones from the field.

There is a strong connection between Canada and Ukraine, and this is deeply personal for me. Today I am wearing my vyshyvanka, a traditional embroidered shirt that reflects the rich culture and history of the Ukrainian people. I want to add that my late mother, who passed away five years ago, is the one who embroidered this for me. My parents fought very strongly to preserve our Ukrainian heritage. I actually did Ukrainian dancing for 14 years of my childhood, and this is one of the vyshyvankas that she embroidered for me so that I could display not only our heritage but the importance of preserving it. This represents the endurance of a community that has preserved its language, traditions and culture despite hardship, displacement and attempts to erase its identity.

My family, like so many others, settled in the Prairies and passed down values, culture and traditions that continue to shape our communities. Today, the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada stands at nearly 1.4 million people. By designating September as Ukrainian heritage month, we would celebrate this remarkable heritage and honour the contributions of Ukrainian Canadians to our shared history. We would also recognize the nearly 1.4 million Ukrainian Canadians who continue to contribute to our nation, and we would celebrate their traditions, their language and their culture, which they have worked so hard to preserve for generations.

The designation of Ukrainian heritage month is significant not just because of the fact that Canada has the third-largest diaspora in the world but also because of the strong bond between Ukraine and Canada. The bond between Canada and Ukraine has always been rooted in our shared values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Conservatives have always stood firm in defence of those values, and we have always stood firmly in support of Ukraine.

In fact Conservatives have a steadfast record of standing with Ukraine. On August 24, 1991, Ukraine declared its independence from the Kremlin's rule. It was on December 2, 1991, under a Conservative government, that Canada became the first western country to recognize Ukraine's independence. Later, in 2008, it was another Conservative government that officially recognized the Holodomor genocide. This recognition commemorates the deliberate starvation that killed millions of men, women and children in Ukraine between 1932 and 1933, carried out by Stalin's regime. After Putin's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a blunt message to Vladimir Putin to get out of Crimea.

Conservatives also negotiated a free trade agreement, and we launched Operation Unifier, a military training mission to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also imposed the toughest sanctions in the world on those responsible for Russia's aggression at the time. Since Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022, we have continued to stand with the Ukrainian people as they defend their freedom, independence and sovereignty.

It is against this backdrop of resilience that Ukrainian heritage month takes on an even deeper significance. As members of the House consider the designation of September as Ukrainian heritage month, it is in this context, the context of Ukraine being at war with Putin; the context of democracy, freedom and territorial sovereignty being under attack; and the context of its people standing firm in defence of rules-based international order.

A Ukrainian heritage month would offer all Canadians an opportunity to reflect on the values that unite us. It would remind us that freedom is precious and must always be defended. It would remind us of the strength that comes from standing together, and it would reinforce what binds us as a nation. It would celebrate the courage of the people who came before us and the contributions of those who continue to enrich our country today. It would inspire future generations to carry forward these values and contributions with pride and determination.

Again, by designating September as Ukrainian heritage month, we would celebrate the rich history and enduring contributions of Ukrainian Canadians to the Canadian story. We would celebrate the nearly 1.4 million Ukrainian Canadians who continue to contribute to our nation in every province and territory. We would recognize the traditions, the language and the culture that they have preserved against tremendous odds.

These rich traditions are already celebrated across the country through festivals, provincial proclamations, community events and cultural gatherings. These celebrations inspire pride, reflection and a deeper understanding of the vital role Ukrainian Canadians have played and continue to play in shaping our country. The federal designation would give these celebrations national recognition. It would amplify the message that standing with Ukraine and honouring its people and their heritage remains a priority for Canada.

I look forward to supporting Bill S-210, and I hope that the bill will have the support of the members of the House. By embracing the designation, we would do more than celebrate heritage; we would reaffirm our commitment to freedom, to democracy and to the enduring bonds between Canada and Ukraine.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

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.

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite an honour to rise in the House today to speak to Bill S-210, concerning Ukrainian heritage month, and to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Ukrainian Canadians across our country, particularly the vibrant, compassionate and deeply rooted Ukrainian community of Mississauga. Canada is home to over 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent, a community whose presence here dates back more than 125 years. That is why I want to thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for bringing forward this bill to designate the month of September as Ukrainian heritage month and to give all Canadians the opportunity to learn, to remember and to celebrate.

I want to begin with something personal. I am not of Ukrainian descent; I was born in Portugal. Like so many families, my parents came to Canada seeking opportunity and a better life, but through marriage, family and community, I have gained a deep appreciation and respect for the Ukrainian community and spirit. My wife, Christina Yaremczuk, is proudly of Ukrainian heritage. Her family comes from the beautiful and historic Lviv region, a region known for its culture, its faith and its fierce commitment to freedom.

Through Christina, her parents and our extended Ukrainian family, I have come to understand what Ukrainian identity means: perseverance, dignity, cultural pride and love of community. Christina is also dedicated to the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League, an organization that has done so much, especially in recent years, to mobilize humanitarian aid and support for newcomers, to preserve traditions and to strengthen community life.

Our two boys, Alexander and Sebastien, grew up dancing with Barvinok, one of Canada's most-celebrated Ukrainian dance ensembles. My wife and I wanted them to learn culture and to feel those stories in the steps, in the music and in the colours. I remember watching them backstage at performances and seeing the pride in their faces as they put on their embroidered vyshyvanka shirts and their boots. Those are memories that I hold deeply.

In Mississauga we are proud to be home to one of the most active and influential Ukrainian communities in our nation. Walking through our neighbourhoods, whether in Cooksville or Applewood, or across our broader region, we can see the legacy of a people who came here seeking opportunity, safety and dignity, and who helped build the Canada we know today.

St. Mary's Canadian Ukrainian Catholic Church in the heart of Mississauga has long been more than a place of worship; it is a spiritual anchor and a gathering space for thousands. Just a couple of weeks ago I was there with my family, meeting Father Jerry and the community for their annual Christmas bazaar, where hundreds gathered for folklore and festivities. St. Mary's is where families celebrate baptisms, weddings and Christmas Eve liturgies filled with candlelight, incense and the unmistakable beauty of Ukrainian hymnody. It is where newcomers have found support groups, charitable assistance and a community that welcomes them with open arms.

Nearby, the Barvinok Ukrainian Dance School, under the leadership of Fedir Danylak, continues a tradition that stretches back generations. The dancers, children, teenagers and adults, carry forward the colours, the steps and the stories of Ukraine. Every time Barvinok performs in Mississauga, across Canada or, for that matter, throughout the world, it reminds us that culture is not only preserved but is lived, danced, and sung, and is passed from one generation to the next.

We cannot speak of the Ukrainian presence in Mississauga without honouring the role of St. Sofia Byzantine Catholic School. For decades, St. Sofia has taught thousands of young people the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian history and enduring values of faith, community and cultural pride. The impact of that school is profound; many of its graduates become leaders, educators, entrepreneurs or artists who carry their heritage proudly while contributing to the fabric of our country.

Not long ago I spoke with a Mississauga parent who told me she enrolled her daughter at St. Sofia because she wanted her to know who she is and where she comes from. That young girl is now in high school, fluent in Ukrainian, still volunteering at community events and still dancing with Barvinok. This is how culture endures. This is how Canada grows stronger.

One cannot spend time with Ukrainian Canadians in Mississauga without hearing stories of sacrifice and resilience. I met a newcomer, a mother, who arrived with her two children after fleeing the war in Ukraine. She spoke about landing at Pearson airport with one suitcase, no job and no certainty about the future, but she also spoke about how St. Mary's parishioners rallied around her, finding her temporary housing, helping her access settlement services, bringing her clothing and food and ensuring that her children were enrolled in school within days.

Canada was the first western nation to recognize Ukraine's independence in 1991, and we remain steadfast in supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity today. Canada and Ukraine are a partnership of values, courage and friendship. We stand for sovereignty, democracy, human rights and peace. Beyond recognizing Ukraine's independence in 1991, Canada was one of the first countries to condemn Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, impose sanctions against those attacking Ukrainian sovereignty, provide military training through Operation Unifier, supply humanitarian aid, welcome displaced Ukrainian families and support Ukraine on the international stage in every forum, NATO, the G7 and the United Nations. Canada has helped rebuild power grids, supply medical equipment, support demining and strengthen Ukraine's democratic institutions.

Ukraine is not only fighting for its territory but for the principles that we hold together, and Canada stands proudly beside it. This is why I want to take a moment to thank my colleague, the member for Etobicoke Centre, who has been a true champion for Ukraine in this Parliament, advocating tirelessly for humanitarian aid, military support and the protection of Ukrainian culture and identity. His leadership has been felt not only here but in Ukraine and in communities across the GTA and Canada.

As we celebrate culture and heritage, we must also remember the history, especially its darkest chapters. The Holodomor was a man-made famine imposed by Stalin's regime in 1932 and 1933, killing millions of innocent Ukrainian men, women and children. It was a genocide, an attempt to erase the people, their language, their identity and their existence. In Mississauga, people gather yearly at a memorial organized with the leadership of St. Mary's, and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the UCC, has helped to make sure that Canadians are aware of the Holodomor through school programs, public exhibits, the Holodomor bus that arrives at Parliament Hill, survivor testimonials and community vigils.

The UCC, both nationally and through its Ontario and local chapters, is the backbone of Ukrainian community life in Canada. It advocates, educates, organizes cultural events, supports newcomers and mobilizes volunteers. Its work in Mississauga, together with my wife, Councillor Christina Yaremczuk-Fonseca, and chairwoman Liliya Gulych, held the first Ukrainian flag-raising and art exhibition in the city of Mississauga this year. The UCC ensures that the Ukrainian identity remains strong and future generations understand their heritage.

Ukrainian heritage month is a moment to celebrate the music and art of Barvinok, the faith and community of St. Mary's church, the education and cultural grounding of St. Sofia school, the leadership of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the resilience of families that came here seeking hope and the generations that helped build Mississauga into the thriving multicultural city it is today and Canada into a true symbol of hope.

In the House, during Ukrainian heritage month and throughout the year, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting Ukraine, defending democracy, promoting peace and celebrating the heritage of all who call Canada home. May Canada always stand with Ukraine, may our communities continue to grow in friendship, and may the spirit of the Ukrainian people be resilient, hopeful and unbreakable and continue to shine brightly across Mississauga and across our great country.

Slava Ukraini.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people of Fort McMurray—Cold Lake and speak in support of Bill S-210, a bill that aims to designate September as Ukrainian heritage month.

The first documented Ukrainian immigrants came to Canada in 1891 and settled east of Edmonton at Edna, which is now known as Star, Alberta. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians came to Canada during this first wave. They brought with them farming practices, culture, language and incredible resilience. During the First World War, while thousands of first-wave Ukrainians signed up to fight and defend Canada, thousands of Ukrainian Canadians from the Austro-Hungarian Empire were classified by the Government of Canada as enemy aliens and interned in camps across Canada. Throughout their time interned, they experienced large amounts of forced labour, building national monuments, like Banff National Park, that many Canadians enjoy today.

However, after World War I, there was a second wave of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada. At this time, the land in Ukraine had been used as a battleground, leaving entire communities destroyed and thousands of displaced Ukrainians. Many of these displaced Ukrainians were farmers, professionals and intellectuals who came to Canada so they could rebuild their lives. The already strong, rich, vibrant community of Ukrainian Canadians from the first wave of immigration, combined with similar farmlands, made Canada an ideal place for these Ukrainians to find a new home. The conditions were incredibly harsh, but Ukrainians came and they persevered. They created communities, built churches and schools and shared their culture with their new neighbours.

My great-grandparents came to Canada from Ukraine over 100 years ago in the second wave of immigration, and they homesteaded in Gilwood, Alberta, outside of High Prairie in northern Alberta. They faced tremendous hardships, like the many others who came to homestead in this densely forested landscape.

They survived in large part due to the relationships they were able to forge with local indigenous peoples, who showed them traditional harvesting of berries, hunting techniques and how to build homes so that they could survive the incredibly cold prairie winters. Early Ukrainian settlers in the Prairies relied on this traditional knowledge from the indigenous peoples in the region to survive and adapt to their new environment. In exchange, Ukrainians shared their beloved babushkas, flower-printed scarves now known by generations of indigenous people as kokum scarves.

These kokum scarves, tracing back to Ukrainian trade with local indigenous communities, have now been adopted into indigenous cultural practices, including in powwows, fashion and home wear. The floral scarf was found to have similarities to Cree, Dene and Métis beadwork, which led to the communities' sharing of knowledge and culture. The scarves then symbolized a shared history between the Ukrainian Canadian community and indigenous groups, and created relationships, trade opportunities and a welcoming of each other into their communities, an impression that lasted for generations to come.

One of the many symbols of Ukrainian resilience is the spread of a rich and strong Ukrainian Canadian culture through Ukrainian food, dance, newspapers, bilingual schools and monuments. Ukrainian dance has been a way for many young Ukrainian Canadians to connect with their culture and know their heritage. I was lucky enough as a kid to dance with the Fort McMurray Avrora Ukrainian Dancers community, the dance troupe that my son now dances with. It was an opportunity for me and for countless Ukrainians to learn about the culture, to learn about the community and to learn new traditions.

Beyond that, Ukrainian Canadians were instrumental in preserving the Ukrainian identity during times of Russian oppression. What some people might not understand is that the key and the theme of resilience in the Ukrainian community is so incredibly important because through history, Ukrainians have had to fight Russian oppression in so many different spaces and places. Ukrainian Canadians helped preserve their Ukrainian identity, ensuring this rich culture lived on. Over generations, Ukrainian communities kept the Ukrainian heritage and culture alive, even while Ukraine was suffering under Soviet oppression, at a time when Ukrainians were having their culture systemically stripped from them and erased by the Soviet Union.

One example of Ukrainian Canadians preserving Ukrainian culture is dance. Early immigrants brought their vibrant folk dances to the community. These dances were eventually professionalized with dance companies, such as the Shumka Dancers in Edmonton, which is a perfect example of the mark Ukrainian Canadians have left on Canadian society as a whole.

Shumka, which was established in 1959, is distinguished and world-class. It has performed for Queen Elizabeth II, prime ministers and presidents, and they shared the stage with figures such as Andrea Bocelli, Julie Andrews and countless Ukrainian artists. They have performed across Canada and in tours across the world, including in China and the beloved Ukraine. This goes to show that Ukrainian cultural expression in Canada is alive and strong, leaving a mark on our nation and around the world.

Having a strong Ukrainian community that is resilient and passionate was shown also in our strength and recognition of the Holodomor, a despicable and evil,man-made genocide famine by Stalin, which systemically tried to kill Ukrainians simply for being Ukrainian. The very first monument for the Holodomor in the entire world was built in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1983. It was built at a time when speaking of the Holodomor in Ukraine was not allowed, as they were still under Soviet rule. This was the very first time that truth to power was spoken, and that was in the western world. It was an incredibly powerful sentiment to the Ukrainian people, and it demonstrated our strong ties and connections.

In fact, when President Zelenskyy came here just a few years ago, he mentioned the importance of that very monument and what it meant for the Ukrainian people. The U.S.S.R. had intentionally hid this famine, which it had created, from the world, so putting truth to words and having a monument to this was incredibly important. However, the creation of this monument was just one example of the Canadian-Ukrainian community and its strong ties.

One interesting piece that I would like to share that shows part of the Ukrainian-Canadian culture, and anyone who has driven through the Prairies would have seen them, are the beautiful onion dome churches that dot the prairie landscape. When Ukrainian communities came to Canada, they brought their strongly rooted faith with them. As they set up communities, they built these stunningly beautiful churches, which are still alive and well on the Prairies. Many of them still welcome parishioners on Sundays for mass.

One of these western-Canadian Ukrainian churches is here in the national capital region. It is the St. Onuphrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, which came from just outside of Smoky Lake, Alberta. It is located within the Canadian Museum of History and is an active parish that has mass, I am told, once a year so that it can stay an active parish. It gives an opportunity to commemorate, honour and remember the continuing importance and impact that the vibrant Ukrainian community has on both Canada's history and on Canadian society today.

This strong community has created generations of hard-working, high-achieving, outstanding figures, whether it was the first Canadian female to walk in space, Roberta Bondar; the “great one” and hockey superstar, Wayne Gretzky; or people in the political sphere, like the first Ukrainian elected to a provincial legislature, which happened in Alberta, Andrew Shandro. He is a relative of a former Alberta MLA, Tyler Shandro, who is a great friend of mine and UCC board member. I give a shout-out to Tyler. There is also the late, great Gene Zwozdesky, who was the former speaker of Alberta's legislature. Before getting into politics, he was involved with the Alberta Shumka Dancers and went on to become their music director. In Alberta, that is very common.

There is also Ed Stelmach, a former premier of Alberta, and his spectacular wife Marie, who came from Andrew, Alberta, and were fundamental in establishing the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village east of Edmonton, which unfortunately sustained some fires but is still spectacular. Part of why we talk about these things is that it is not just about being Ukrainian; it is creating a culture that is alive and well today.

In conclusion, the Ukrainian community is strong, passionate and important to contemporary culture and society in Canada. Conservatives have and will continue to support Ukraine as it fights oppression from Russia and Putin.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The time provided for the consideration of Private Members' Business has now expired, and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

The Economy

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today being a late show, I get a chance to follow up on a couple of questions I asked on November 3. Going back to that time, I asked questions, interestingly, about bonuses being paid to executives. Of course, the responses to those questions had nothing to do with the questions I asked at the time, so we expect we will get a chance to hear some of those answers today in the response from the parliamentary secretary.

In the questions, we talked about how every single dollar the Liberal government brags about spending comes from the pockets of hard-working Canadians in the form of higher taxes and inflation. While Canadians are lining up at food banks in record numbers, their own money is being used by the Liberal government to hand out hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses.

I raised the alarm that, for example, 100% of Via Rail executives received bonuses averaging $110,000 on top of their regular pay under the government, and I talked about that being incomprehensible and completely irresponsible. At the time, the Liberals were doing everything they could to force an election that nobody in Canada wanted, with a budget that was completely reckless. The budget actually came out the next day. We had some hints as to what was going to be in it.

The next day we found out that though the Prime Minister had promised a minuscule deficit of only $62 billion during the election campaign, instead, just a few months later, the self-proclaimed economic mastermind put forward a budget that was $78 billion in deficit. We went from $62 billion promised in the election campaign in April to $78 billion in a November budget. I raised the fact that it was incomprehensible to me that in this fiscal crisis we are in, 100% of Via Rail executives were able to get bonuses.

I pointed out in my second question that in 2015, The New York Times reported that Canada had the richest middle class in the world when the Liberal government came to power. We had a balanced budget when the government came to power. After that, the finance minister who put forward the budget was elected. I raised in my second question the fact that during an epic housing crisis, 99% of CMHC executives received bonuses averaging $43,000. I asked how that was okay.

We received no answers to those questions, no references at all to the level of bonuses executives were getting paid under the government. I hope after having had a month and a half to research this information, we will hear an answer now.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting proposition the member has just put across the floor. I read his question. Traditionally, Conservatives like to downplay Canada. The member talked about being discouraged because of Canada's middle class, and he tried to imply that the government has not been doing a good job. That is a common theme; the Conservatives like to say to Canadians that Canada is broken.

Wanting to address that aspect of the member's comments, I did a very quick Google search. The member can do the same thing and search “best countries in the world to live”. Interestingly enough, here is what comes up: The best countries to live in, consistently ranked high for quality of life, happiness, stability and well-being, are Switzerland, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Australia and the Netherlands. Canada is often at the top. When we look at the top contenders by category, we see that Canada leads in living standards, family life, education and stability. That was just from a quick Google search.

The Conservatives like to talk down Canada. They are very good at doing that. However, there are a lot of good things happening in Canada, but Conservatives like to take what I would classify as potshots and try to give some sort of a false impression.

The member challenged me to give more details on bonuses. I have news for the member across the way: Stephen Harper also gave out bonuses. The Conservatives also gave out grand bonuses for performances and so forth, sometimes justified, maybe sometimes not justified.

I can tell the House that, at the end of the day, Canada has what I would argue is the best civil service. Countries around the world look to Canada in terms of how we are able to administer the type of public policies we have and the services we provide to Canadians. I have had the opportunity to be at both the federal and the provincial levels of government for a number of years. I can assure the member opposite that whether it is a Crown corporation, the civil service or, I dare say, even MPs' offices, they provide performance bonuses.

I suspect that even the member opposite who raised the issue has provided performance bonuses. I do not know that, so my apologies if he has not, but I think that is all a part of it. Yes, even I get frustrated at times with the amount of a bonus, or with certain situations that take place.

What I like about the budget implementation bill is that when we break it down we see that it would go to many different standing committees. It would allow members to go into the details on some of those bonuses and maybe get some specific answers that the member is looking for. I would really encourage the member to become more engaged at the committee structure level. At the end of the day, a committee is as effective as the personalities that make it up.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know the last time the hon. member was actually at committee.

Somehow the member talked about taking potshots. I do not know how he defines a potshot. I pointed out that he ran in an election in which his leader promised an already devastating budget deficit of $62 billion. We are talking about record-level budget deficits. Then, a few months later, the Liberal government put forward a budget with a $78-billion budget deficit. Somehow my comment was a potshot. I also asked the member to explain how the government can justify 100% of Via Rail executives' getting bonuses. He called that a potshot, but it is a fair question in a democratic society. It is a fair question for this time.

I hope the member will actually answer this question this time.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, when I was talking about potshots, I was reflecting on the question the member had asked and the way in which the Conservatives continue to downplay Canada as a nation. We can just take a look at the questions he just finished asking. He again takes shots in regard to the Prime Minister because of the deficit, but what he does not tell us is that we can look at Canada as a nation and see that we are number one in terms of the lowest net debt to GDP ratio in the G7. We are the lowest. We are number two on the deficit, and if I compare with who had a worse deficit, I just look at the leader of the Conservative Party, on an inflation basis, with the 2009 budget. However, that is what I mean. They tell half.

At the end of the day, I think there is a lot that we can be grateful for here in Canada.

Ethics

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is a total and complete hypocrite. During the recent federal election campaign, he presented himself as Captain Canada. He wrapped himself in the Canadian flag with his elbows up. He wove a story of having resigned as chair of the multi-billion dollar investment firm Brookfield to come to Canada's rescue at a time of crisis.

Of course, this self-serving narrative is pure fiction, because what the Prime Minister did not tell Canadians is that, as chair of Brookfield, he played a key role in helping Brookfield avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes in Canada through Brookfield's shady use of offshore tax havens. In fact, the Prime Minister has the dubious distinction of being chair of Canada's biggest corporate tax dodger.

Analysis reveals that, of Canada's 123 largest corporations, there is no bigger tax dodger than Brookfield. Brookfield managed to avoid paying a staggering $6.5 billion in taxes in Canada in only five years, and I want to emphasize that the Prime Minister was not a bystander to Brookfield's tax dodging. He was an architect, including setting up and registering three multi-billion dollar investment funds in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, which of course are notorious offshore tax havens. Not only that, the Prime Minister stands to profit from one of these funds that he registered in Bermuda in the way of future bonus pay. In short, this is a Prime Minister who stands to make tens of millions of dollars as a direct result of his tax-dodging scheme. So much for Captain Canada and so much for Mr. Elbows Up.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has the audacity to tell Canadians that they need to sacrifice more. I have news for this arrogant and out-of-touch Prime Minister. Millions of Canadians get up every day, they work hard, they play by the rules and, yes, they pay their taxes in Canada. Why will he not? He has a responsibility to do so, and in the meantime, he has a responsibility to come clean and tell Canadians how much he has in offshore tax havens.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I do have a lot to say on this particular issue, but let us be very clear at the onset. It is important to recognize that when we talk about ethical standards, if I can put it that way, Canada has some of the most, if not the most, stringent rules in place, which have been in place now for quite a while. When we think of the current Prime Minister, look at it from this perspective. He has not only met but exceeded the requirements under those ethics guidelines, and he will continue to do so.

Having said that, let us do a bit of a reflection, in terms of what the Conservative Party has focused so much of its attention on. I have always said that it is character assassination. We saw a great demonstration of that just now. Brookfield is a $100-billion or $200-billion company. I suspect that it has investments in a lot of things. At the end of the day, some of the investors sit in the Conservative caucus. They might have sold off since they have been called out on it, like the deputy leader of the Conservative caucus. There are a number of Conservatives who actually have investments in Brookfield. If we were to start to ask about this and that, and put on the tin hats, I am sure we could come up with some pretty mischievous behaviour coming from the Conservative Party of Canada. There is a whole pile of them who have questionable ethics in terms of the conflict potential that is out there.

In fairness, I am not a Conservative. I am not a conspiracy theorist believing that everything is a conspiracy in order to try to justify some sort of a statement, when we know full well that the Prime Minister has done everything that is required of him and has actually exceeded that. It does not stop the Conservatives, because they know they can score some political cheap shots that are unjustified and completely unfounded. By spreading this, they believe that they can convince people that there is some sort of real corruption that is there. There is not.

That is what we see coming from the Conservative Party when I talk about character assassination. To the Prime Minister's credit, he has not allowed that to be a distraction as he continues to build and work toward building Canada strong. The Prime Minister, as is this government, is focused on what we can do in order to enhance the lives of Canadians in every region. A part of that agenda is one of the reasons we have a Prime Minister who has been doing a great deal of travelling, ensuring that we can break down barriers and open up doors so that we can have more countries to have trade with, literally billions of dollars of potential commitments coming in as a direct result of the Prime Minister's actions, not to mention the budget, which is there to support things like our military, infrastructure and Canadians as a whole, in terms of programs.

These are all things that are positive and that are happening, primarily because, no matter how focused the Conservatives are on themselves and on wanting to have and participate in character assassination of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister has resisted that and has focused on serving Canadians. That is something I believe he is going to continue to do, because we have a very straightforward goal, and that is to build Canada strong, to build Canada to become the strongest nation of the G7, and to provide hope for Canadians.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that the Prime Minister set up three multi-billion dollar investment funds in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, and it is a fact that he stands to make tens of millions of dollars in future bonus pay from one of those funds. Those are facts, not a conspiracy theory, as the member across the way suggested. It is typical of the Liberals, who have nothing but contempt for the truth, nothing but contempt for accountability and nothing but contempt for transparency. They have contempt for taxpayers who work hard and pay their taxes in Canada. Meanwhile, we have a Prime Minister who is a tax dodger.

Why will the Prime Minister not simply come clean and tell Canadians exactly how much he has in offshore tax havens?

Why will he not do that?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is someone who was appointed by Stephen Harper to be the Governor of the Bank of Canada. He was appointed in England to be the governor of the Bank of England. He has been a successful business person within the Canadian economy for many years. He has an incredible track record. That is something we should encourage, to have successful individuals like the Prime Minister become parliamentarians, become leaders, provide their vision. That is something we should be encouraging, not trying to tear apart with character assassination. I truly do not think it is called for.

We have rules. Those rules are being followed. The Prime Minister will continue to be focused on Canadians.

Taxation

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are being bled dry at the pump and the grocery till, on their phone and Internet bills, and by mortgage and credit card payments that keep climbing. People are doing everything they can just to get by, but every month it gets harder, not easier. While families struggle to keep their heads above water, the biggest corporations in this country are posting record profits. RBC made $16 billion, Rogers made $1.7 billion, Loblaws made over $2 billion, and Imperial Oil made almost $1 billion in the last quarter alone. The question is fair: How much profit is enough? Is there a limit? When will the government actually take some action?

Across this country, Canadians are getting a raw deal. Our phone bills are among the highest in the world. A 2023 study found Canada has the 10th-highest median price per gigabyte of data globally, higher than every country in Europe except for Switzerland. Canadians pay up to 26 times more for data than people in France do, yet Bell still made $6.3 billion in profits and laid off 700 workers. This is not a result of healthy competition; this is what happens when a handful of powerful corporations are allowed to dominate a market.

At the grocery store, families are expected to pay about $1,000 more next year just to feed their households. Meanwhile, Loblaws made more than $2 billion in profits after settling a $500-million case for fixing the price of bread over 15 years. At the same time, food bank usage has hit record levels nationwide. Families are forced to choose between rent and groceries.

In the oil and gas sector, it is the same story. Imperial Oil made nearly $1 billion last quarter and more than $5 billion last year. Then what did it do? It laid off nearly 1,000 workers. All of this happens while abandoned wells sit unrepaired, environmental liabilities grow and communities are left to deal with the costs. Profits are privatized, but the cleanup is a public expense.

We now have the lowest corporate taxes in the G7 and the highest corporate profits in our history. At the same time, Statistics Canada reports that the gap between the richest two-fifths and the poorest two-fifths of Canadians has reached the widest point ever recorded. This is what happens when we normalize out-of-control corporate greed. Corporate consolidation only makes it worse. Rogers swallowed up Shaw for $26 billion. RBC bought HSBC for $13.5 billion. The result is fewer choices for Canadians and more power for large corporations to raise prices however they want. Under successive Conservative and Liberal governments, this is what has happened.

Even in the U.K., Conservative governments recognized that profits had grown out of control. The U.K. introduced an excess profits tax on oil and gas companies, a measure that raised over six billion euros in just two years and helped support households struggling with the cost of living.

New Democrats want businesses to succeed. We want everyone to win. We believe in innovation, investment and good jobs. However, success should never come from gouging Canadians or driving families into debt. Therefore, again I ask: How much profit is enough? Is there a threshold? Will the Liberal government finally include an excess profits tax in the upcoming spring economic statement? Will it stand up for Canadians instead of corporate boardrooms?

It is time to act, because Canadians simply cannot afford more excuses. This place is starting to feel like a corporate boardroom. This is the opportunity for the government to show Canadians they matter and that they are a priority ahead of the big corporations.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that, whether it is the Prime Minister, cabinet or all Liberal members of Parliament, we are very sensitive to what is happening in our communities on the issue of affordability. That is one of the reasons, for example, we have the tax cut, which is going to benefit 22 million people. By the way, the member opposite is voting against that, in regard to the budget.

There are many initiatives in the budget that are actually a benefit to all of Canada, including communities the member represents. We have had a lot of debate about it inside the chamber. All we have to do is take a look at some of the things in the budget that are genuine attempts to assist Canadians. At the end of the day, there is a lot there.

I could talk about the national school food program, the pharmacare program or the dental care program, but I want to stick to what the member is specifically asking about, which is corporations. My concern, with issues of the people, if I can put it that way, has been there for many years, even when I sat in the Manitoba legislature, when consecutive NDP governments consistently reduced the corporate tax rate. As much as the member tries to give this false impression, I do not think that the government is in the pockets of corporations.

The other day I said to Corrine, one of my staffers, who is doing an outstanding job, that we need to look at ways we can promote more competition in cell phone rates. We had a discussion on that topic. She found one company, and if the member is interested, I can get him the information on it, that was, I believe, less than $100 for the year. There are areas where we have seen improvement .

There are other areas where government has very limited control. Issues come up, such as the avian flu, that have a direct impact on the supply of chickens, and the price of chicken is goes up. If there are demands on beef, the number of cattle available for slaughter cannot be instantly increased, so prices will go up. There are things that cause inflation that are beyond the government's control.

On the issue of affordability, what is important is that the government takes the necessary actions to try to maintain the rate of inflation. I believe the Bank of Canada has set the rate of about 2.2%, which is the target it wants to see us at.

There are always going to be ways in which we could improve the system. I look forward to more federal budgets that will ultimately put us in a better position. All in all, when we take a look at the overall budget, there is a lot to support Canadians at this difficult time. I would hope that we would get more support coming from the New Democrats, recognizing that this budget does support Canadians as a whole.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that would almost be funny if the Liberals were not blaming the avian flu for driving up grocery store prices, which is harming people. This is the kind of answer that I expected today.

We will never hear the Liberals or the Conservatives willing to take on corporate greed. They will place blame everywhere else. Meanwhile, companies such as Loblaws have had record profits, a couple of a billion dollars. This is not because of the avian flu.

For big oil and gas, Canadian Natural has had $6 billion in profits, Enbridge has had $5 billion in profits, Suncor has had $5 billion in profits, Imperial Oil has had $4 billion in profits and AltaGas has had $3.5 billion. We are seeing record profits for the five big oil companies.

Meanwhile, they are using a taxpayer-funded pipeline, the TMX, which costs taxpayers $34.5 billion, and we cannot find a buyer for the pipeline. Why are the big oil and gas companies not buying it? It is because of corporate welfare on the backs of the public. The government has its priorities out of order—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member is wrong. We brought in amendments to the Competition Act, for example. With respect to the profits of the grocery companies, the minister responsible called the big five to come to Ottawa. We had standing committee meetings. The government has done its job in advocating on behalf of consumers. In certain areas we have seen a lot of success; in other areas it can be a challenge. I recognize that it can be a challenge, but I would also suggest that, as a government, we are up to the challenge.

At the end of the day, I would like to think that, whether it is through the Competition Act or bringing in direct supports to Canadians, we will be there to have the backs of Canadians.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:39 p.m.)