Pierre Breton

[Canadian Heritage, October 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video, also known as ADISQ, for its exceptional work developing independent, strong, and innovative music production.

Last night, I was at Place des Arts in Montreal where the music industry was gathered for the ADISQ gala to honour creators and artists in the Quebec songwriting genre.

It was the 40th anniversary of this prestigious gala. In attendance were the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, as well as many of my colleagues in the House. I want to point out that this was the very first time a Canadian prime minister has attended this gala.

Congratulations to all the nominees and to all the winners on their success. We can be proud of every artist in the Quebec music industry. The vitality of this industry is a testament to their talent.

I want to thank all these creators who compose the soundtrack of our lives.

[Paul-Germain-Ostiguy High School, October 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the exceptional work of faculty and staff at schools across the riding of Shefford. They work hard developing extracurricular activities that raise young people's awareness of the importance of community engagement while demystifying the democratic parliamentary system.

Students at Paul-Germain-Ostiguy high school in Saint-Césaire are invited to form a real student parliament made up of young elected officials who want to get involved in student life. Some of them are appointed as ministers and a prime minister is elected. These students are charged with representing their peers and proposing changes to the school administration in order to improve the quality of life at the school.

I applaud this wonderful initiative and commend these young people for their great leadership.

[Canadian Heritage, October 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement was reached yesterday and we saw that our government kept its promise to keep the cultural exemption. The Conservatives asked us to accept any deal, but I am proud to see that our government secured a good deal.

Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage explain what it means for our artists and creators?

[Rougemont, the Apple Capital, September 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, fall is when the riding of Shefford comes into its own. It is a time of plenty, with ripe apples practically falling off the trees. During apple-picking season, over half a million visitors come to Shefford to take part in apple harvest activities or just to enjoy the delights of fall in the orchard.

In the heart of Montérégie lies the majestic town of Rougemont. With its 500,000 apple trees, Rougemont is proud to be known as the “apple capital” of Canada. As a pioneer in apple cider production, the Rougemont region is also an agri-tourism destination renowned for its rich soil and knowledgeable farmers.

We invite you to participate in the 16th edition of Les Week-ends Gourmands de Rougemont, an epicurean festival that runs every weekend until October 14. Every MP has been given the perfect calling card, a Rougemont apple from Canada's apple capital.

[Housing, June 14th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the government has announced its vision for the new homelessness partnering strategy. This announcement is the culmination of more than a year of work, including the release of the first ever national housing strategy and its commitment to provide $2 billion to combat homelessness.

Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain to the House how this new strategy will prevent homelessness?

[Duhamel Family Restaurant, May 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to pay tribute to the Duhamel family from Granby, who have owned Rôtisseries Duhamel since 1958.

This family business was created 60 years ago, when poultry farmers Bernard and Jacqueline Duhamel decided to open their first delivery service from their home on Dufferin Street.

In 1992, their sons, Alain and Claude officially took over the business. The next generation is also very involved, since the founders' grandchildren Jérémie, David, Roxane, Cédrik, Andrée-Anne, and Binjamin all joined the management team in 2008.

I would like to sincerely congratulate the Duhamel family and its 155 employees who make an outstanding contribution to the riding of Shefford's economy. They deserve our full recognition. Well done.

[Jean-Yves Phaneuf and Mark Chaplin, April 17th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me immense pleasure to pay tribute to Jean-Yves Phaneuf and Mark Chaplin, who received the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers from the Governor General of Canada this morning for their outstanding volunteer contributions to my riding of Shefford.

Mr. Phaneuf has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to promoting youth soccer. He is the founder of the Cosmos de Granby soccer club and the driving force behind Canada's biggest soccer tournament. He has been inducted into the Quebec soccer hall of fame.

Mr. Chaplin has been volunteering with the Navy League of Canada since 2009, where he fosters and maintains the well-being of the cadet corps of the municipality of Valcourt. He was honoured for his tireless dedication to helping youth in our region.

Mr. Phaneuf and Mr. Chaplin, who are here in Ottawa this afternoon, fully deserve these commendations for their contributions to helping youth in our community. I want to extend my warmest congratulations to them and thank them for their great generosity.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, March 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, beginning on April 1, the Canadian Agricultural Partnership will provide financial support for strategic initiatives and business risk management programs in the agriculture and agrifood sector for five years. This agreement is guaranteed to drive growth.

Can the parliamentary secretary to the minister tell us how this will benefit farmers and businesses in my riding, Shefford, and everyone else in Quebec?

[The Budget, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague. Indeed, the jobs of the future hinge on Canadians' ability to constantly adapt, innovate, and maintain our competitive advantage over the rest of the world. We are investing an unprecedented $3 billion to support the next generation of researchers. This is extremely important, and I remind members that an additional $511 million, on top of the current budget, will be allocated to regional economic development. Regions are important

[The Budget, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity to reiterate that gender equality in Canada is an important focus of this budget. Canada has probably never had a budget more focused on gender equality.

I simply want to remind my colleague of three extremely important measures that we have implemented and that will be developed in the coming years. We are investing 1.7 billion to drive the economic advance of women. We want women to start and grow their businesses and to export more from these businesses. This money is earmarked specifically for them, and we are very proud of this.

There are women entrepreneurs in my riding working in various sectors, from farming to industry, and they want to see these changes implemented quickly. I also want to remind my colleague of the additional EI benefit weeks for women, which should help ensure a smooth return to work after pregnancy.