Quebec Cerebral Palsy Association  Mr. Speaker, the Association de paralysie cérébrale du Québec is turning 70 this year. For the past 20 years, the association has been led by president Joseph Khoury, a remarkable, passionate leader. It is an honour for the riding of Saint-Jean to host the association's headquart

Infrastructure  Mr. Speaker, the people of Saint-Jean know how vital trade is to economic development and to ensuring stability for our small and medium-sized businesses. The government knows how important it is to reduce travel distances on our highways and to promote sustainable economic deve

Liberal Party of Canada  Mr. Speaker, following its election, the government launched the largest infrastructure program in Canadian history. Modern infrastructure forms the foundation for a strong economy and better communities. With this in mind, our government announced an $82-million investment yest

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Official Languages criss-crossed the country meeting with minority francophone communities. She soon realized that the Conservatives' cuts threatened the survival of organizations that promote our linguistic rights. After presenting the most ambitiou

Normand Gagnon  Mr. Speaker, agriculture and the women and men who ensure our food security are at the heart of what has defined Canada since its inception. On April 8, Normand Gagnon, a farmer from the riding of Saint-Jean, won the “Coup de chapeau” award at the Agristars gala, an honour he ri

Paul-André Massé  Mr. Speaker, it is with emotion that I pay tribute to a committed politician who touched the lives of many people in the riding of Saint-Jean. Paul-André Massé passed away on March 17. Born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Mr. Massé became a member of Parliament for the Liberal Part

Regional News Media  Mr. Speaker, keeping the public informed ensures the integrity of the democratic institutions that have made Canada what it is today. As a government, we fully agree with the need to support the news media. Regional news has long been a tool for community development. That is wh

Holiday Celebrations in Saint-Jean  Mr. Speaker, Khaled Kalille helped mobilize a number of stakeholders, and thanks to his efforts, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu was treated to a wonderful, magical event. The first ever Christmas parade was without question a resounding success. I want to thank the volunteers and the

Official Languages  Mr. Speaker, now more than ever in Canada, we must stand up to defend and strengthen our two official languages. Canadians understand that it is important to protect our rights and they know that their government must protect our national identity. Can the Minister of National D

National Local Food Day Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Kootenay—Columbia for introducing this bill to celebrate national local food day. I think it is a great day in the House any time we have the chance to talk about agriculture and food. Our farmers and food processors work hard every single da

Remembrance Day  Mr. Speaker, we owe our freedom and the values we cherish to the sacrifices of women and men who fought courageously to defend our ideals. Bravely, they vanquished the enemy. Vimy, Passchendaele, Canada's Hundred Days: these were the victories that earned us the respect of our al

Community Solidarity  Madam Speaker, two events demonstrating community solidarity were held recently in my riding of Saint-Jean. I want to commend Lise Boulanger for organizing volunteers to serve meals to people in need on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. I also want to shine

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, keeping Canadians safe means confronting instability around the world. In November, we announced a series of commitments to optimize Canada's impact and its contribution to UN missions. In March, we announced plans to deploy an air task force to Mali for a one-year p

Fleur Bleue Heritage Achievement Award  Mr. Speaker, every year, the Musée du Haut-Richelieu awards its Prix du mérite patrimonial Fleur bleue. I would like to congratulate Georges Coulombe, who won a special tribute award for helping to maintain our cultural heritage by restoring a number of heritage buildings. Alai

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for his question. We worked hard on developing a policy that was both ambitious and realistic and we consulted Canadians who told us clearly that we must take care of the well-being of the men and women of the armed for