Canada's Agriculture Day  Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Alfred-Pellan, I am very fortunate to have a lot of family farms that feed my community. At the height of the pandemic, these families demonstrated unrelenting determination and great resilience in order to continue providing us with quality produce.

Hooked on School Days  Mr. Speaker, I want to wish my son Gabriel a very happy seventh birthday. [Member spoke in Italian] [Translation] I rise today to recognize Hooked on School Days, which is being held February 15 to 19. Let us be honest: Our young people could use a reason to get hooked on sch

Umberto Bruni  Mr. Speaker, with their paints and brushes, artists make us see our community and our everyday lives through their eyes. Today, I pay tribute to a grande maestro, signore Umberto Bruni, who was born in Montreal in 1914. A painter, panellist, mural artist and sculptor, Mr. Bruni

Bell Let's Talk Day  Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by wishing my colleagues and all Canadians good health for 2021. My thoughts are also with my father, who passed away 16 years ago. Today is Bell Let's Talk Day, which is the perfect opportunity for all of us to talk about mental health. The pandemic

Alfred-Pellan  Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has triggered a wave of solidarity in my community of Alfred-Pellan. Businesses, organizations and individuals have been working together to support those in need. With the holidays around the corner, that wave has turned into a tsunami. Bold, creative

Social Development  Madam Speaker, Black communities in Laval are active in the business world and community life. Their involvement helps to enhance Laval's prosperity and vitality, but they are still facing many obstacles in 2020. Could the minister explain to Black communities in Laval what our

International Volunteer Day  Mr. Speaker, on December 5, we will mark International Volunteer Day, and I would like to commend volunteers from Alfred-Pellan ahead of time. There are a great many of them, but to name just a few, we have the volunteers from Cité de la Santé, the Centre d'écoute de Laval and J

COVID-19 Emergency Response  Mr. Speaker, our government has put measures in place to support our business owners during the pandemic. One of these measures, the Canada emergency business account, has helped nearly 775,000 businesses benefit from an interest-free loan of up to $40,000. Last week, the ministe

Alfred-Pellan  Mr. Speaker, many guardian angels in Alfred-Pellan made a big difference during the first wave. They faced our new reality with courage, determination and resilience in order to support the most vulnerable among us. Today I wish to recognize the many hours of food preparation i

Farmers in Alfred-Pellan  Mr. Speaker, more that ever, people in my riding of Alfred-Pellan and across Canada appreciate the excellent work our farmers are doing to feed our community. From vegetable farms to plant farms, to dairy farms, to livestock farms, the people of Laval have access to fresh product

COVID-19 Emergency Response  Mr. Speaker, my question regards the plan the government has in place to support families struggling because of COVID-19. Across the country families, and especially parents with children, have had to deal with the challenges that arise from uncertainty about the future. I have h

International Women's Day  Mr. Speaker, we celebrated International Women's Day on Sunday, March 8. Although we still have a long way to go, progress toward gender equality is measurable and visible. In Alfred-Pellan, women excel in all areas, from art to high technology, from sports to medical research, f

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. He is quite right. Our government is keeping the promise it made to Canadian workers and is committed to expanding EI sickness benefits by increasing them from 15 weeks to 26 weeks. This commitment builds on our hard work ove

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. It is not a matter of seeing the glass half empty or half full. I had my own experience with cancer, and it is not easy. I must say that our government believes in realistic, achievable measures. Our positions are based on co

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, today I am rising to speak to an issue that is important to me, one that affects many Canadians and is a principal part of Canada's social safety net. I am talking about employment insurance and the special benefits for workers who have to take leave for specific e