Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in this great House for the first time representing the beautiful community of Ajax, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
I want to thank the residents of Ajax for placing their trust in me, and I want to thank my family and volunteers for their support.
I also want to recognize my predecessor, the hon. Mark Holland, for his many years of service. We wish him well.
As Ajax celebrates this milestone, we recognize its place in history and its vibrancy today. The area was home to Defence Industries Limited, the largest shell-filling plant in the British Commonwealth during World War II.
With a new name needed for the town, a competition was held among its employees, and they selected the name Ajax after one of the ships that defeated the German battleship Graf Spee near Uruguay in 1939. Today, many of Ajax's streets are named after veterans who served on HMS Ajax, and it is home to innovative businesses, the historic Pickering Village, the St. Francis Centre for Community, Arts and Culture, and beautiful green spaces.
I wish Ajax a happy 70th anniversary.