Lyne Bessette

[Community Organizations in Brome—Missisquoi, November 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to acknowledge the community organizations in Brome—Missisquoi for their hard work throughout the pandemic. Our caregivers centre, youth centres and volunteer centres all managed to quickly adapt to the new reality and continue their essential work.

Our food banks redoubled their efforts after many people lost their jobs and needed to turn to food banks to feed their families. More than ever, our mental health centres are supporting people to help them through this difficult time.

The additional workload has made things difficult. During my meetings with organizations in my region, I learned that many of them are now stretched to the limit in terms of resources and volunteers. As the holiday season approaches, I encourage everyone to lend a hand by donating food, money or time.

In closing, I want to thank all the staff, stakeholders and volunteers of the organizations in my region for their resilience and their dedication to our community. They are making a real difference.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, November 3rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the workers on our farms are essential to the agriculture sector; they have demonstrated this during the pandemic. As a precautionary measure, temporary foreign workers must be placed in mandatory 14-day isolation upon arrival. Our government quickly provided $50 million in assistance to employers to support their costs. In Brome—Missisquoi, producers have told me time and again how important this measure is, as did the Caron orchard, which was able to benefit from this assistance for some fifty workers.

Can the Minister of Agriculture tell us whether the program is going to be extended?

[Seniors, October 30th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, as we all know, seniors have been hit hard by the pandemic, and especially by the lockdown measures. After speaking with a few seniors from Brome—Missisquoi, I realized that, for many of them, isolation and loneliness are having as much of an impact as the virus.

The current context has brought new meaning to the use of digital devices, which allow them to stay in touch with their friends and family. This is why I was so pleased to be able to distribute new tablet computers to a number of seniors in Bedford and Stanbridge East over the past few weeks. Thanks to this donation, a few hundred seniors will be able to participate virtually in their favourite activities and maintain that important contact with their loved ones. This project was made possible by the new horizons for seniors program, which provides valuable assistance to our organizations every year.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the 2020 program and benefited from our government's support.

I want seniors in Brome—Missisquoi and all across Canada to know that we are here for them. Together, we will get through this crisis.

[Canada Summer Jobs, October 2nd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, this summer, Brome—Missisquoi was fortunate to be able to take advantage of the Canada summer jobs program. Our organizations were able to share more than $650,000 in subsidies, which was a boon to our local economy.

This program provided real support to our employers, which were already going through tough times. Many of them would not have been able to hire new employees without this help from our government. In total, 166 young people found a job this summer and obtained rewarding work experience. I would like to congratulate them on the work they accomplished even though we were in the midst of a pandemic.

I would also like to point out the contribution of this program to Camp Garagona in Frelighsburg, a camp for people with intellectual disabilities. Through the Canada summer jobs program, the camp was able to hire five additional counsellors, which really made a difference.

In closing, I would like to sincerely thank all the employers who participated in the program this year. Our government will always be there for our SMEs and organizations in Brome—Missisquoi.

[Infrastructure, September 25th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am in constant contact with constituents and business owners in Brome—Missisquoi, and I have witnessed their solidarity and resilience throughout this pandemic. As we prepare to restart the economy, our constituents are only asking for one thing: the creation of better jobs and increased investment in our infrastructure. Starting today, we are looking towards the future.

Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities tell us what she is doing to help communities?

[Maxie Plante, February 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to recognize the outstanding performance of athlete Maxie Plante.

Since the beginning of the year, this Magog-born woman has brought home no less than three podium finishes in three women's ice cross competitions, including a gold medal at the Red Bull Ice Cross World Championship in Yokohama, Japan, on February 15. This 27-year-old athlete has certainly made a name for herself over the past few months and is currently ranked eighth in the world.

On the ice cross circuit for the past six years, her focus and hard work have set her on a rewarding path. What is more, she is also an airline pilot in Canada's Far North. I am very proud to have such a talented athlete in my riding. She first laced up her skates at the age of five in the Magog arena. Thank you, Maxie, for putting the region of Brome—Missisquoi on the map with your spectacular performances.

[Chantignole School, February 4th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, early in the year, École de la Chantignole, in Bromont, embarked upon a wonderful environmental impact reduction initiative.

January 10 saw the official launch of the “One, two, three, compost!” project that all classes are taking part in.

I would like to congratulate the students and teachers who distinguished themselves through the concrete actions they have taken to reduce waste by composting.

Set in motion by the teachers, the project is the result of a collaboration between the Brome-Missisquoi RCM, the City of Bromont, the school board and the school.

A green committee was created in order the get the students involved. These young people are true role models in the field of environmental protection, and this initiative will prepare them for taking on their role as responsible citizens.

In closing, I would like to congratulate the teachers and students of the green committee of École de la Chantignole in Bromont.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, January 29th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, agriculture is a dynamic industry rife with opportunity. Since today is Bell Let's Talk Day, it is important to remember that the agriculture sector is not immune from mental distress. As part of their job, farmers have to cope with increasingly unpredictable weather conditions and global markets, and the uncertainty that this creates can weigh heavily on them.

Many organizations, such as Au coeur des familles agricoles in Quebec and the Farm Stress Line in Saskatchewan, are making outstanding efforts to support our farmers' well-being.

Could the Prime Minister—

[Small Business, December 12th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, November 19 was Women's Entrepreneurship Day. It was an opportunity to reflect on the advancement of women entrepreneurs. We still have a lot of work to do, but the future is promising, as 39% of the new businesses created in 2018 are led by women.

Can the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade provide the House with an update on the women's entrepreneurship strategy?

[Address in Reply, December 5th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

It is hard for me to answer it; however, having been an Olympic athlete for so many years, I can say that health is important to me and has a very big impact on my life. I can assure the hon. member that when it comes to health, the government will do what it takes to try to help the provinces ensure that Canadians are healthy and able to fully enjoy their wonderful country.