Mark Eyking

[Business of Supply, December 4th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nova Scotia, the parliamentary secretary, who talked about the record of our government and the work it has done socially and economically, and the work he is doing for the people in his riding, as well as future Canadians, on the environment file.

The Conservatives keep talking about the jobs we are losing because of the price we are putting on pollution, and they always allude to the jobs in Oshawa. GM plants were closed in Michigan, Ohio and Maryland, so one would assume there must also be a price on pollution in those three states because GM closed its three operations there. Is there a price on pollution in those states that caused GM to close its plants, similar to the plant they closed in Oshawa?

[Committees of the House, December 3rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on International Trade in relation to Bill C-85, an act to amend the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act and to make related amendments to other acts. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendments.

[Sydney—Victoria, November 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, with the Christmas holiday season and the time for giving quickly approaching, I would like to encourage everyone to give to their local food bank. Whether it be food, personal items or money, or by donating one's time to hand out some meals, every donation makes a difference. In Sydney, Loaves and Fishes, where I visit every Christmas Eve, has been a staple in the community since 1981 and serves more than 40,000 meals every year.

I had the pleasure of meeting with members of the North Sydney Community Food Bank over the summer, who do amazing work on the Northside, and even have a garden so that they can grow and serve fresh vegetables.

The CBC in Cape Breton will be kicking off the annual Light up a Life fundraiser in support of Feed Nova Scotia on November 30 with a performance at the Highlands Arts Theatre, and will have a live on-air program on December 3.

I encourage all Canadians to give back to the communities this holiday season by donating or volunteering at their local food bank to help those in need.

[Remembrance Day, November 8th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this Remembrance Day will mark 100 years since the end of World War One.

I rise today to celebrate a town in my riding that has a unique place in the history of the end of the First World War. North Sydney became the first community in North America to celebrate the end of the war.

On November 10, 1918, the Western Union Cable office in North Sydney received a message that the war would end the following day. The message notified that peace was to be observed on “the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month” of that year.

A parade was formed, a concert was held, bonfires were lit and celebrations continued far into the night. The town celebrated a day before the rest of North America even knew there was a truce. In all this, North Sydney has carved a distinct position as the first community to celebrate the end of the the world war.

On this November 10, the 100th anniversary of the date the message arrived in North Sydney, I look forward to joining join Cape Bretoners at the North Sydney Historical Society's celebrations to mark this one-of-a-kind piece of history.

[The Netherlands, October 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, today is a special day for us, as we witnessed the first official address to our Canadian Parliament by a Dutch Prime Minister, the hon. Mark Rutte.

As a Canadian of Dutch heritage, I want to highlight the importance of Canada's friendship with the Netherlands. In 1945, during the liberation of the Netherlands, more than 7,600 Canadians died and were buried on Dutch soil. Following the liberation of Holland, my parents immigrated to Canada, along with 160,000 others. Today there are more than one million Canadians of Dutch descent living in Canada.

Many Canadians may not realize that not only do we have a rich history and a large Dutch community, but trade between Canada and the Netherlands has more than tripled over the past 10 years, and it will continue to grow with the ratification of CETA.

I encourage all my hon. colleagues and all Canadians to learn more about the rich history of our two countries, both economically and culturally. May we always remain allies and friends.

[Joe King Memorial Giant Pumpkin Festival, October 5th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Millville, Cape Breton is a great place to raise a family and to grow crops. Through my life, my wife Pam and I had the great honour to farm in Millville with the late Joe King, his wife Catherine and their son Joey. This Thanksgiving weekend will be the annual Joe King Memorial Giant Pumpkin Festival, named in his honour and hosted by the Millville Community Centre.

Growers from across Cape Breton will bring their largest pumpkins to compete for this crown. There will be lots of entertainment for everyone. The community centre and ladies auxiliary will have activities for children, along with crafts and great food for all.

As we start our Thanksgiving weekend, we appreciate not only farmers of Cape Breton and those across the country for the food they produce; we also thank those who prepare the food for us. Let us thank the volunteers and donors who help our food banks and give those less fortunate than us something to eat.

On behalf of my colleagues in this House, I wish all across our wonderful country a happy Thanksgiving.

[Committees of the House, September 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on International Trade in relation to Bill C-79, the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership implementation act. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report it back to the House without any amendments.

[Dystonia Awareness Month, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, September is Dystonia Awareness Month. It is estimated that 50,000 Canadians have this disease, which is the third-most common movement disorder following tremors and Parkinson's disease. Those with dystonia suffer from painful involuntary muscle contractions of any part of their body, including arms, legs, face and vocal cords. On top of this physical pain, those with dystonia often experience depression, anxiety and social phobias. There is low awareness of dystonia, and the biggest challenge can be getting the proper diagnosis. There is no known cure for the disease, but we must raise awareness of it.

This disease has been brought to my attention by a fellow Cape Bretoner, Jason Young. He was instrumental in getting the world's largest fiddle in Sydney lit up blue for the month of September to raise awareness. Those who live and fight this battle should know they are not alone. It is my hope that together we can promote, educate, and find a cure for this terrible disease.

[Petitions, September 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the parishioners of St. Barra Parish, Iona, Cape Breton, who have a petition asking that the government remove the words “reproductive rights” from the Canada summer jobs application form.

[Child Poverty, June 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, all children are precious. It is very important that we give them not only a healthy and safe environment to grow up in, but also the tools to help them be successful in our society. Over the years, Cape Breton has seen challenging economic times, which has created one of the highest child poverty rates in the country.

With the various programs and investments by our government, we are turning the Cape Breton economy around. With the Canada child benefit, payments in my riding alone average $720 per family each month. This is helping 12,000 children. What I am hearing from parents at home is that this money not only helps with necessities, but it also helps to put kids in after-school activities such as soccer, hockey, and dance.

Our government has additionally invested $35 million in early learning and child care in our province over the next three years. Are we there yet? No. That is why I am looking forward to our government's poverty reduction strategy, which will be released in the upcoming weeks. I commend all who had input into this strategy, and I hope all members will support it when it comes before the House.