Mr. Speaker, I want to take the opportunity to provide some brief commentary. I remember being a grade 6 French immersion student and winning a ticket to go to the Festival du Voyageur, which, all people from Manitoba will know, is a marquee event that helps us to understand our history. The deeply embedded culture of the Manitoba Métis people, the Red River Métis, is on full display during that time of year.
Hypothetically, because I am not allowed to draw the attention of the House to people in the gallery, if President Chartrand were here with us today, I would tell him and those with him that we are incredibly proud to have worked alongside their government and their people to enrich the fabric of our city, our province and our country. Louis Riel, Manitoba's first premier, is no doubt smiling down on the House today, a House he had to sneak into after being a duly elected member so many years ago to fight for the rights that we are recognizing in this chamber today.