Carolyn Bennett

[Masterworks, February 20th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the wonderful MasterWorks program and its founding organization, the AV Preservation Trust.

The MasterWorks program recognizes 12 culturally significant classics each year, drawn from the archives of Canadian film, radio, television, video and sound recording industries, and provides the necessary funding to underwrite the preservation and restoration costs of each master work.

This year's selections in radio are: The 1927 Jubilee Broadcast , L'heure provinciale, and Glenn Gould's Solitude Trilogy .

This year's film winners are: La vraie nature de Bernadette by Gilles Carle; The Loon's Necklace by Crawley Films; and The Grey Fox by the late Philip Borsos, with the wonderful Jackie Burroughs and produced by my husband, Peter O'Brien.

Sound recording selections were awarded to Robert Charlebois, Raoul Jobin and Gordon Lightfoot, and in television and video Cré-Basile! Télé-Métropole and Femme d'aujourd'hui were recognized.

I congratulate everyone who received an award. I encourage my colleagues to support the endeavours of the MasterWorks preservation program for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

[Black History Month, February 16th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, as you may know, in December 1995 parliament officially designated February as Black History Month.

Black History Month provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the importance the history of Blacks in North America.

In Canada, Black History Month gained acceptance in the late 1960s and has become an annual event across the country, particularly in major urban cities.

The federal government's commitment to the recognition and education of Black History Month is the Mathieu Da Costa Awards Program. Mathieu Da Costa was the first of many persons of African origin who have made important contributions to the building of Canada. The program encourages Canadian students to research, discover and celebrate the contributions of Canadians of ethnic and racial minorities who have contributed to the building of Canadian society and allows them to develop a more inclusive notion of Canadian citizenship and identity.

I encourage all of you take part in the events and activities of Black History Month and to recognize the extraordinary contribution Black people have made and continue to make in building Canadian society.

[The Economy, October 16th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of speculation concerning the state of the Canadian economy and the strength of its growth. In fact there has been a lot of speculation that the Minister of Finance may actually be preparing a statement on the economic status of the country. We wonder when the Minister of Finance might deliver that to the House.

[Mammograms, September 20th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, once again I have concerns that the National Post 's sensational headlines have caused a huge distortion of serious facts.

The title of today's article in the National Post suggested that mammograms are pointless. This could not be farther from the truth. A new study on breast screening procedures says that proper physical examinations can be a viable alternative for women who do not have access to mammograms or who fear radiation.

Dr. Cornelia Baines, deputy director of the study, explained that if women can arrange to have a good clinical breast exam, they will be looking after their breast health as well as if they were getting a mammogram, but that mammography screening of women who take no other steps to detect breast cancer does reduce the number of deaths.

Canadian Cancer Society numbers say that 19,200 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in Canada this year alone; all the more reason why Canadian women over 50 must still be encouraged to have either a mammogram or an appointment for a proper clinical examination by a trained professional every two years.

[Battle Of Britain, September 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, three months that now military strategists and historians have defined as one of the most important turning points in the second world war.

Yesterday at the Air Force Association of Canada's anniversary ceremony here in Ottawa, my father-in-law, Peter O'Brian, provided his observations based on his role as a Spitfire pilot serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was among many Canadians who heroically helped fight this vital victory for freedom.

During World War II, Winston Churchill's valiant and inspirational speeches brought people together to fight a common cause. It was 60 years ago that during the Battle of Britain, Churchill left a moving motto for humanity “to value freedom far above their lives”. In Churchill's words “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

The 60th anniversary provides an opportunity to thank the 99 Canadian pilots who took part in this historic air defensive and particular the less than a dozen who are still with us again—

[Ovarian Cancer Month, June 14th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, many of us here today have had our lives touched in some way by cancer. With Ovarian Cancer Month just over, I wish to draw the attention to this important form of cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death among cancers in women and causes more deaths than any other cancer of the reproductive system. It affects women of all ages, particularly those over 30.

The survival rate with early detection is 95%. Unfortunately, only one-quarter of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are in the early stages. Most of these cancers are detected at a stage where the survival rate drops to 28%.

The survival rate of women with ovarian cancer can be improved by raising public awareness and by patient and physician education.

On their way into the Chamber, fellow members of parliament may have noticed the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Canada information booth. Further facts on symptoms, treatments and support can be found there.

[Als Society Of Canada, June 12th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, June is ALS awareness month. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal neuromuscular disorder that kills two to three Canadians every day. Ninety per cent of ALS patients die within five years of their diagnosis and most rely on family members for care.

The ALS Society is here today on the Hill to ask the government to ease the pain by investing in home care and granting compassionate leave to caregiving family members. It hopes that the new CIHR will mean increased funding for ALS research to ensure that we build on recent breakthroughs and find a cure for this devastating disease.

[International Cooperation, June 2nd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister for International Cooperation announced that the government will spend $120 million on developing countries over a three-year period.

Could the parliamentary secretary tell us more about this announcement?

[Allergy-Asthma Awareness Month, May 19th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the members of the House and all Canadians that the month of May is Allergy-Asthma Awareness Month. More than six million Canadians suffer from allergies and asthma, and this number is increasing daily. In many cases, this condition can be life-threatening. In 1978, 2.5% of Canadian children had asthma. This year it is at 12%.

Allergies and asthma are the number one reason for visits to the emergency rooms. They are the number one reason why students miss school. They are the number three reason why people miss work. Allergies and asthma contribute enormously to productivity problems and health care costs.

Through education, training and research, the Allergy-Asthma Information Association and its partner organizations, the Asthma Society of Canada and the Canadian Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Foundation, help Canadians in coping with these health issues.

Please join me in wishing the Allergy-Asthma Awareness Information Association a successful Allergy-Asthma Awareness Month.

[National Nursing Week, May 8th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to remind the members of the House and all Canadians that May 8 to May 14 is National Nursing Week. This year the Canadian Nurses Association has partnered with Health Canada to organize activities in support of Canada's physical activity and health strategy.

As members know, the federal, provincial and territorial governments have joined in setting a goal to reduce the number of inactive Canadians by 10% by the year 2003. Today there are 255,000 registered nurses in Canada who help patients and clients with information, advice and support on how to improve their health by including physical activity in their daily lives.

The theme of National Nursing Week 2000 is “Challenge Yourself-Get Active”. Please join me in recognizing the important contributions of the nursing profession in Canada.