Mr. Speaker, former chief of defence staff General Ray Henault was formally installed as chairman of NATO's military committee on Thursday. What does this mean for NATO and what does this mean for Canada?
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 39% of the vote.
Nato June 17th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, former chief of defence staff General Ray Henault was formally installed as chairman of NATO's military committee on Thursday. What does this mean for NATO and what does this mean for Canada?
Science Fair June 17th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this occasion to congratulate a 14 year-old student from my riding, Alexandre Harvey, who recently won the gold medal at the Canada-wide science fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Alexandre attends École secondaire Sainte Marie in New Liskeard. His project, aptly titled “Ça cliques-tu?” measured the effect of the sound of a metronome on students writing mathematics tests or spelling dictation.
By comparing marks, Alexandre was able to determine that students who wrote tests to the sound of a metronome got 25% better marks.
Alexandre's goal was to find a way to help students get better marks, regardless of their work methods.
Alexandre is obviously a young scientist who bears watching in future, judging by these excellent results.
Congratulations, Alexandre, we are very proud of you.
Arnie Hakala June 14th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Arnie Hakala, a journalist for the North Bay Nugget who passed away Friday, just 22 days shy of his 65th birthday.
Arnie was a veteran journalist who personified the profession for more than 40 years. His career began in 1962 in Kapuskasing and his newspaper trail went from Timmins, the Port Arthur News Chronicle, the Canadian Press in Toronto, the Hamilton Spectator , the Toronto Star , the Oshawa Times and the
North Bay Nugget.
Arnie was set to retire from the Nugget on July 29, but was determined to continue to write as a freelance journalist. In his final column he wrote the evening before he passed away, he said:
I have no intention of putting my feet up. I love what I do and there are still stories that have never been written.
Arnie Hakala was a tough reporter but he wore his heart on his sleeve. He had a special way of making those around him feel important and he lived his life through his readers and the people he wrote about.
Arnie Hakala will be missed dearly.
Jean-Marc Filion June 6th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jean-Marc Filion, a science teacher at the Algonquin catholic high school in North Bay, who will be retiring at the end of the month, after a long and successful career.
Mr. Filion started teaching at the Algonquin school over 30 years ago, in 1974. Since then, thousands of students have studied under him in chemistry, physics, biology and computer science, as well as physical education and Spanish.
Under his supervision, the students have achieved unprecedented success, winning a total of 32 medals at national and international science fairs 19 years in a row, starting in 1986. That is outstanding success.
On behalf of all the hon. members, I would like to thank Jean-Marc for his commitment to his students, his colleagues, the Algonquin catholic high school and his entire community.
Happy retirement, Jean-Marc Filion. You fully deserve it.
Heritage North Bay June 3rd, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Heritage North Bay, an organization comprised of 750 volunteers who help run and maintain the heritage carousel, the heritage train and the heritage gardens along the shores of beautiful Lake Nipissing.
Soon Heritage North Bay will be introducing @discoverynorthbay. Formerly known as the North Bay Museum, @discoverynorthbay is a brand new facility located in a beautifully refurbished Canadian Pacific Railway station also near North Bay's waterfront.
On July 1 Heritage North Bay will unveil a brand new winter wonderland carousel complete with carved animals representing northern Ontario's wildlife. Each of these animals has been carefully hand carved and painted by Heritage North Bay volunteers.
I would like to commend and salute the hundreds of volunteers who serve Heritage North Bay and help make North Bay's waterfront one of the most beautiful destinations in all of Ontario and Canada.
Keep up the great work.
Carcinoid Cancer June 1st, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring awareness to carcinoid cancer.
Carcinoid is a neuroendocrine cancer which is usually slow growing, and often overlooked and misdiagnosed. Many people with carcinoid have no symptoms, or the symptoms are attributed to other more common conditions. Many times carcinoid can be diagnosed with a simple blood or urine test; however, because of the rarity of the cancer, no prognosis can be given.
Because the disease is so rare, there is little research being done and very few funds being devoted to this cause. Dr. Walter Kocha at the London hospital is now devoting his entire practice to carcinoid patients. Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital has just set up a carcinoid cancer foundation. More money for research is desperately needed.
I salute those who are doing everything they can to raise awareness and help fight this terrible disease. I wish to say to the Binkley family in my riding that our prayers are with them. Keep strong and remember, cancer can be beaten.
United Way Hockey Tournament May 16th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate everyone who was involved in the annual House of Commons hockey tournament for the United Way, an event which took place recently here in Ottawa.
This year's tournament featured 10 teams, comprised mainly of employees of the House of Commons and the Senate. In all, over 100 players took part in the event.
The final game saw the team of Liberal staffers, known as The Herd, take on Rock's Boys, a team made up of House of Commons security constables.
Fans were treated to a see-saw battle from start to finish. The game featured plenty of great scoring chances, including a penalty shot in regulation time. After three periods the teams were tied at three goals apiece. A shootout was then held to determine the winner. In the end, thanks to some stellar goaltending, The Herd came out on top by a score of 4 to 3.
Of course, the real winner of this year's tournament was the United Way which will benefit immensely from the nearly $2,500 that was raised over the course of the event.
I congratulate once again the players, the organizers and the fans for contributing their time and energy to a great cause.
Independent Booksellers May 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to recognize independent booksellers across Canada.
Recently, Mr. Vic Fedeli, the mayor of the city of North Bay, proclaimed April 26 Independents' Day in order to celebrate independent booksellers and highlight their importance to the country, both economically and culturally. Not only are independent bookstores vital to promoting and supporting local writers and books, but they also help keep money circulating within their communities.
Gulliver's Quality Books and Toys, an independent bookstore in my riding, has been serving the North Bay area for almost 20 years, supporting local and regional authors as well as bringing Canadian authors to North Bay.
Gulliver's is one of more than 500 independent bookstores across the country that strive to promote regional and local literature which might not be noticed by larger chain stores that buy for the entire country.
On behalf of all hon. members, I would like to congratulate independent booksellers across Canada on the work they do and the valuable service they provide to their communities.
Liberation of the Netherlands May 2nd, 2005
Madam Speaker, the largest official delegation of Canadian veterans ever, representatives of veterans organizations, youth, and War Amps Operation Legacy are in the Netherlands from May 1 to May 10 to participate in events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands.
Before leaving Canada, the delegation participated in a commemorative service at the National War Memorial to remember those who fought and died in the longest battle of the second world war, the Battle of the Atlantic.
In the Netherlands, Canadian veterans will once again have an opportunity to pay their respects to their fallen comrades, and at the same time renew a very special relationship with the Dutch people.
Veterans Affairs April 20th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, shortly the Minister of Veterans Affairs will be introducing a new veterans charter in the House. I rise today to pay tribute to the veterans organizations that have brought some of their members from across the country to take part in this memorable day.
They are: Mary Ann Burdett, Dominion President, the Royal Canadian Legion; Pierre Allard, Director, Service Bureau, the Royal Canadian Legion; Ken Henderson, Dominion President, the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada; Lorne McCartney, Secretary-Treasurer, the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada; Brian Forbes, Honorary Secretary-General, the National Council of Veterans Associations; Cliff Chadderton, Chairman of the National Council of Veterans Associations and also the Dean of the heads of veterans organizations; Bob McKinnon, past National President of Gulf War Veterans Association; Dave Munro, National President, Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association; Harold Leduc, past National President, Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association; Gaètan Martel, National President, Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping; and Don Ethell, past National President, Canadian Association of Veterans in United Nations Peacekeeping.