Marc Serré

[Speech and Hearing Month, May 8th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, May is Speech and Hearing Month. As the father of a future speech therapist, I am proud to acknowledge the exceptional work of speech therapists and audiologists.

Throughout the month of May, Speech-Language & Audiology Canada's more than 6,400 members will be highlighting the importance of early detection and intervention of speech, language, swallowing, hearing, and balance disorders.

From birth, newborns begin communicating and building their future. This is vital for the social and professional development of any individual.

Many Canadians suffer from hearing and speech disorders. People should visit their local Canadian Hearing Society.

I ask all members to join me in recognizing Speech and Hearing Month in Canada and to stand in support of the work of speech pathologists and audiologists across the country.

Meegwetch.

[Organ Donation, April 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, following the devastating crash a little more than two weeks ago, we learned that the Humboldt Broncos Logan Boulet had signed his organ donor card. Since then, Canadians across the country have come together, and organ donation rates have increased dramatically. Canadians come together in times of tragedy to care for one another. Because of Logan's heroic decision to become an organ donor, he saved the lives of six people who desperately needed a transplant.

While 90% of Canadians say that organ donation is important, only 20% agree to become organ donors. Greater Sudbury and Sturgeon Falls, in Nickel Belt, rank third and sixteenth in terms of number of registered donors in Ontario. I urge all Canadians to go to their provincial tissue and organ donation website to register. By registering to become an organ donor, you may become a hero to someone in need.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

[Sports, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, came to a close on the weekend. Like many of us, I had a chance to watch several events, and our athletes stood out among the world's best. I am very proud to be Canadian.

The games were, of course, very emotional. There were a host of great moments when we stood with each other and stood with pride for the contributions that all of our Olympic athletes made and for Canada's medal count.

Could the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities tell us about Canada's success in South Korea?

[Alzheimer's Awareness Month, January 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, January is Alzheimer's Awareness Month.

More than 400,000 Canadians have been diagnosed with dementia. I have seen first-hand the devastation caused by this disease. After my motion to develop a national seniors strategy was passed in Parliament in May, I began travelling across the country to co-host seniors town halls with my colleagues. Countless Canadians have expressed the need to proactively get to the root cause of this disease, eliminate the stigma, and identify the most effective ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat it.

I am proud to say that we listened to the public and that the Government of Canada is developing a national strategy for dementia and subsequently creating an advisory committee.

I encourage everyone to learn more about Alzheimer's and go to the Alzheimer Society of Canada website. Together we can improve the quality of life of people living with dementia, their families, and everyone involved.

Meegwetch. Thank you.

[Gaétan Serré, December 5th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in recognition of my father, Gaétan Serré, a former member of Parliament. My father was honoured by Huntington University with its distinguished award of excellence for his lifetime of dedication to serving his community and country.

I want to thank Dr. Kevin McCormick, president of Huntington University for this distinguished award and for announcing the creation of the Gaétan Serré scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a student who embodies my father's passion for community and public service. Growing up I saw first-hand how devoted my father was to the people and causes he served. He always put service before self and has inspired me to follow in his footsteps and work hard for our community.

I want to thank my mother Jeannine, who was married to my father for 51 wonderful years, my wife Lynn Loiselle, my sister Lynne, and Robert Gervais, as well as the grandchildren, Michel, Catherine, Marissa, Mélodie, and Mireille, who were by my side to celebrate the life of a great man who was fair and loving, a deacon, a father, and an amazing grandfather.

[Student Volunteers, October 31st, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to students for taking action against poverty. The students at Confederation Secondary School in Val Caron have come together to collect funds to provide food, clothing, laundry services, and public transit for their peers. They surpassed their goal in one night by collecting over $3,900, which is truly amazing.

Champlain Catholic high school held a “Homeless for a Night” event that raised $5,270 for the Chelmsford food bank. For the 17th year in a row, the students of Franco-Cité Catholic high school held a Thanksgiving fundraiser, and this year a total of 20,000 pounds of food was donated to the West Nipissing food bank.

All people deserve to have fresh food on the table and clothing on their backs.

I want to thank the faculty and parents for supporting these students' efforts.

I thank all staff, parents, and students for caring for their community.

[Indigenous Affairs, October 25th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, reliable access to drinking water and wastewater treatment is vital to the well-being of our communities and an important issue for our indigenous communities. Our government is committed to renewing the relationship with indigenous peoples and providing the infrastructure they need to prosper.

Could the Prime Minister give us an idea of the kind of work the government is doing to improve access to drinking water and wastewater treatment on reserves?

[Government Appointments, September 25th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today as a Franco-Ontarian.

The Minister of Justice introduced significant reforms to the judicial appointment process. Her reform promotes diversity, gender balance, and bilingualism. I am pleased to see that five of the eight judges who were appointed in eastern Ontario are perfectly bilingual.

Minister, could you inform the House of the steps our government has taken to strengthen the bilingual capacity of our courts?

[100th Anniversary of Gogama, September 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the residents of Gogama, who are celebrating their town’s 100th anniversary. Gogama, a hidden treasure in northeastern Ontario, is a beautiful community that offers plenty of outdoor activities. People go there for the fishing, the hunting, the bike trails, and, last but not least, the campfires.

Gogama went through some very hard times following a train derailment. A community of 450, and in the summer thousands, their strength should not be measured by their numbers. They have persevered and opted to take a negative situation and turn it into an opportunity. No time was wasted and they produced a fantastic tourism video as a result.

I am incredibly proud of Gogama and its residents for their triumph over tragedy.

Happy 100th anniversary, Gogama. Knowing the residents' determination, I am confident that they will prosper for another 100 years.

Thank you. Meegwetch.

[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, June 20th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, I have celebrated Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day since my childhood days in the small communities of Chelmsford, Verner, and Field.

I proudly recognize my ancestors, Nickel Belt pioneers such as my great-grandfather Pierre Aubin, from Saint-Donat, Quebec, who immigrated to Field, Ontario, in 1860.

My great-grandparents Serré, Racine, and Éthier also came to Verner, Cache Bay, and Nickel Belt in 1880 as did the descendants of the Algonquin nation, including my grandmother, Victoire Aubin-Trudel.

I feel it is important to recognize my roots and my heritage, and to pay tribute to everyone who played a key role in Ontario.

I recognize the importance of the work of Jacques and Michelle De Courville Nicol, both of whom have so generously given of themselves in French Ontario.

I am proud to be Franco-Ontarian, to be of Métis descent, and to be a member of the Algonquin nation.

Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. Meegwetch.