Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition brought forth by Raksha Bhayana and the Bhayana Family Foundation, supported by the philanthropic and charitable sector, and signed by 1,377 Canadians from across all provinces.
The petitioners ask our government and the House to officially recognize the third Thursday of February as the day of appreciation for the non-profit sector. The petitioners would like to bring to the attention of the House the fact that 170,000 organizations work in the non-profit space, that the non-profit sector contributes over 8% to our GDP, employs 2.7 million Canadians and engages millions of volunteers. This includes non-profits in the arts, food security, mental health, faith organizations, sports, environment, seniors, youth and all other community charities.
The petitioners believe that the non-profit sector should get more credit for being a bedrock for our society and for ensuring the well-being and vitality of communities across Canada.