Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to pay tribute to a man who had a profound impact on the riding of Thérèse-De Blainville: Roland Dagenais, the founder of La Popote à Roland.
Mr. Dagenais was ordained as a priest in 1954, and he soon became a fixture in his community of Blainville. In 1977, he was very concerned to see that too many seniors were living in isolation, and so he and members of the parish launched a simple initiative that involved offering a warm meal and an opportunity for people to get together every week. Thus began La Popote à Roland. One Wednesday at lunchtime, I had a opportunity to drop in for a visit myself. It is easy to see why this organization is so important to local residents. Seniors gather there every week, and it obviously does them good.
Roland Dagenais was also an avid traveller. He travelled around the world, from Asia to South America, but he left one of his greatest legacies at home in Thérèse-De Blainville. For nearly 50 years, hundreds of seniors have been gathering there every week to share a lot more than just a meal. Today, we simply want to say thank you to him.