Marcel Proulx

[Claire Macaulay, October 25th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, education has always been a fundamental Canadian value.

The strength of education depends on the dedication of the teaching body that shapes our youth. I would like to pay tribute to the principal of Mont-Bleu primary school in Hull, Claire Macaulay.

Through her courage and dedication, Ms. Macaulay established the first international studies program at the primary level in the Commission scolaire Des-Portages-de-l'Outaouais. Exceptionally generous and dedicated, Ms. Macaulay has established this program that encourages Canadian culture and invites students to discover the outside world as well. Ms. Macaulay and her students have taken part in a number of projects, including digging wells in India, three of which have been named for Mont-Bleu school. They carried out a project to distribute school supplies for children in Mali and in Benin and another to open a library in a Benin refugee camp.

Hats off to Ms. Macaulay and bravo to Mont-Bleu school in Hull.

[Don Cherry, October 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced that Ron MacLean and the CBC had reached an agreement for the next season of Hockey Night in Canada .

In the course of these negotiations, we learned that sports commentator Don Cherry was being paid $700,000 by the CBC. I was stunned when I heard that, not just because this is a very high salary, but primarily because of the controversial nature of the comments made by this commentator, who does not hesitate to criticize the presence of foreign players and who indulges in discriminatory comments against francophones.

Don Cherry was found guilty, by the Quebec press council, of making insulting comments about Jean-Luc Brassard, a freestyle skier and the flag bearer of the Canadian team at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games. Then, in March 2001, Don Cherry spewed his venom on the Francophonie Games that were going to be held in the Ottawa-Hull region, in the summer of 2001.

I welcome the renewal of Ron MacLean's contract and I hope that Mr. MacLean will help keep his partner Don Cherry more in line in his comments, because his behaviour has definitely not been deserving of the forum made available to him by the CBC.

[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, June 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, Monday, June 24 is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, the great festival of all French Canadians.

Together, we shall celebrate our diversity and our identity. We will proclaim our pride in a country that continually celebrates the richness of the French language.

I invite all Canadians to gather round a bonfire of friendship, to dance and to raise their voices in song.

Bonne fête, francophones du Canada.

[Biotechnology, June 14th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, this week the Bio 2002 International Conference & Exhibition was held in Toronto. Canada is one of many countries with a strong biotechnology industry and we are engaged in significant research. We need to retain our competitive edge, however.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health inform the House on the steps the government is taking to ensure that Canada retains a lead role in biotechnology R and D?

[Yvon Sabourin, June 11th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the Desjardins movement recently highlighted the contribution made to its organization by Yvon Sabourin.

This great and active man has had an impressive career. Born in Hull, Yvon Sabourin is a leader and organizer who has devoted himself to building the Desjardins movement in the Outaouais and throughout Quebec for more than 40 years.

He helped found the Caisse populaire Saint-Rédempteur de Hull. He was the director of the Fédération des caisses populaires Desjardins de Montréal et de l'ouest du Québec. He received the volunteer of the year award during Desjardins week, in 1997.

He has also been involved in amateur sport for quite some time. He was the honorary president of the Quebec games in 1971. For seven years, he was the general manager of the Olympiques de Hull hockey club.

Yvon Sabourin has served as president of the Regroupement des bingos de Hull, president of the Hull sports hall of fame, president of Saint-Raymond parish in Hull and treasurer of the Hull Kiwanis Club.

As you can see, this is a man who is fully deserving of this tribute. Bravo, Yvon.

[Millennium Scholarships, June 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the residents of my riding, I am very happy to congratulate the five winners of excellence awards.

They are: Geneviève Carrier, of the Collège de l'Outaouais; Vicki Da Silva-Casimiro, of Collège Saint-Joseph in Hull; Maïté Garcia Gonthier, of the MultiCollège de l'Ouest du Québec; Pamela R. Ledoux, of Heritage College; and Maude Schneider, of the Petit Séminaire de Québec.

The excellence awards recognize, support and encourage students who have set themselves apart by their academic results, leadership and community involvement.

The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation was created by the Liberal government by an act of parliament by which all Canadians invest and express their confidence in the future leaders of this country.

I congratulate to the winners from my riding and wish them much luck with their studies.

[Employment Equity, June 6th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, when the annual report on employment equity was tabled, the President of the Treasury Board indicated that fair representation of persons with a disability was a priority for this government.

As the government wants to promote a culture of “planned inclusion” of persons with a disability in the public service, can the President of the Treasury Board explain to us how the government will eliminate the obstacles facing employees with a disability in the public service?

[National Hockey League, April 29th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, Le Petit Robert defines sport as physical activity with a recreational and competitive purpose, requiring methodical training and observation of certain rules.

It is these rules which I wish to address today. It seems to me that the managers of the National Hockey League do not wish to see the consequences their failure to observe these rules might have on the values of our Canadian society.

First of all, I am thinking of the poor example being set for young players learning this sport and for those hoping to become professionals one day. I am also thinking of the negative influence on the public in general of broadcasting acts of violence which are normally prohibited under the criminal code. Such acts of violence should result in swift and stiff criminal charges.

What is the National Hockey League waiting for to get serious and enforce its rules? For a player to get killed? For children less well trained and not as well protected to suffer the same fate?

National Hockey League officials—

[Infrastructure, April 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday the Secretary of State responsible for Economic Development Canada announced financial assistance in excess of $1.6 million from the Government of Canada for urban infrastructure projects in the new city of Gatineau.

This assistance will make it possible to carry out phase one of the revitalization of the Connor Building, which has been vacant since 1995. It will be converted to a multisport and cultural centre for the Hull sector of Gatineau.

This project will greatly improve local, even regional, recreation infrastructures, because there is no building in the Outaouais region at the present time where soccer can be played year-round.

After the renovations, the Connor building will be able to accommodate numerous competitions,on the regional, provincial and Canadian levels, international as well. As well, a number of educational institutions will be able to use the building facilities for school and extracurricular activities. It will also be able to accommodate major events, such as the Salon du livre de l'Outaouais.

This is one more practical example of our government in action to enhance the quality of life of Canadians.

[Infrastructure, April 10th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, recently some very significant improvements have been made in the riding of Argenteuil--Papineau--Mirabel, through the Canada-Quebec Infrastructure Works Program. I believe it is important to draw attention to these projects.

In the municipality of Ripon, the Government of Canada's participation of $15,395 will make it possible to replace the obsolete water mains serving rue Martel.

The Government of Canada's $17,682 contribution to Montpellier will enable the municipality to install a disinfection system as well as control mechanisms for their water system.

In Mirabel, the Government of Canada's $1 million participation will be used for expansion of the Saint-Canut waste water treatment plant.

The mayors of these three municipalities, Léo Bédard, Rhéo Faubert and Hubert Meilleur, are delighted with the positive effects of these projects. They will make it possible to improve community infrastructure, the environment, and their citizens' quality of life at the same time. I believe it is important for the people of Argenteuil--Papineau--Mirabel to be aware of the benefits of the Canada-Quebec Infrastructure Works Program.

When completely implemented, this program will have resulted in projects with a total value of $1.686 billion.