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It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, June 18, Cameron Fraser Damoff made his much-anticipated entry to the world. Loved to the moon and back by his mom Taylor and dad Fraser, my first grandchild could not have been born to better parents.

His Auntie Jill, Uncle Rob and cousin Bayley cannot wait to meet him, and his great-grandmother Betty is excited to hold the wee bairn in her arms.

Taylor's strength and huge heart will make her an incredible mom.

I am so proud of the man Fraser has become and the father he will be.

Cameron will always be surrounded by so much love and affection.

As John Lennon said:

Before you cross the street Take my hand Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plansBeautiful, beautiful, beautiful Beautiful boy

Congratulations, Fraser and Taylor. May God bless them and wee Cameron. I know Bunka is smiling down on them.

Congratulations, Grandma. She has me in tears.

The hon. member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies.

Mr. Speaker, community leaders throughout my riding are alarmed by the lack of genuine consultation around caribou and other closures.

The recent release of the province’s draft winter motorized recreation management plan in South Peace is a direct result of the caribou partnership agreement signed by the current Liberal government in 2020.

The B.C. Snowmobile Federation, the Concerned Citizens for Caribou Recovery, and the municipality of Chetwynd have come out strongly against this proposed plan. It became clear that their recommendations to maintain public access to vitally important areas while conserving caribou habitat were flatly ignored. What did the Liberals do with all this sound advice from outdoor experts? They threw it out the window.

It is time for the government to recognize its failings with arbitrary land and marine closures. It must ensure decisions made are based on science and sound advice from our communities. These decisions will have a direct impact on the local economy and the way of life. It looks like more closures are on the way, with 30 by 30 and other initiatives supported blindly by the government.

It is time for the government to stop ramming through its agenda and start listening.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize outstanding members from my community of Pickering—Uxbridge. Despite the pandemic, these individuals share an unwavering commitment to supporting their communities.

Dr. Carlye Jensen and Dr. Jennifer Wilson were recently selected by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health as Pillars of the Pandemic. The pandemic has required exceptional leadership, and Dr. Jensen and Dr. Wilson consistently went the extra mile.

Mahnoor Hussain was recently selected as one of only three Parks Canada Youth Ambassadors. Mahnoor will spend the summer engaging with youth across Canada, advocating for the protection and conservation of our national parks.

Paul Yang was recently awarded The Globe and Mail's Changemakers award. As acting director of innovation and sustainability, Paul has worked hard to phase out the use of plastic straws at all Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada.

I want to thank these members of our community for their commitment and for reminding us of the lasting impact individuals can have in our communities and across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, there are some news reports that are very discouraging for our planet.

In my region, people are upset about the Goldboro project. People in the Montérégie region and the Eastern Townships recently learned that the Alberta natural gas company Pieridae is currently lobbying the federal government and MPs to obtain public money for the construction of a port and a natural gas liquefaction plant near Halifax. The objective is to supply a German energy corporation. The company is looking for nearly $1 billion in public money.

According to a December 2020 presentation, the natural gas would transit through pipelines located in Quebec. The problem is that the pipelines seem to be at full capacity already. We fear that if the company obtains the federal government's financial support, other pipelines will have to be built in Quebec.

This project is dangerous for the environment and would not generate any economic returns for Quebec, because the natural gas only transits through our province. This is the ghost of energy east. The green economic recovery that we want cannot happen with this type of project.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the honour of being elected to Parliament three times. My commitment to the city I represent has been to stand here at every opportunity and advocate for Toronto and to do what I can to make the country better by doing better for people.

It will surprise no one when I say that the fundamental, just way to do this is to fight to ensure every Canadian has a safe, affordable place to call home. Nothing in politics is done alone. I acknowledge the ministers, the members from all parties and people from the housing sector who have worked together to create the national housing strategy. Together, we have legislated the right to housing, we are investing in new homes, we are repairing existing ones and we are delivering direct support to those in need. This country can end homelessness. We must end homelessness.

Yesterday was a tough day in Toronto. The city I love can do better. Our government can do better. We must all do better. The way forward is to find higher ground. It is not through the battleground; we need to build on common ground. That is our duty. That is what we will do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the life of Robert Alexander, a Canadian hero and a lifelong Owen Sound resident who recently passed away at 91 years of age.

Bob loved his community and country. In 1949, he joined the Canadian Army. In 1950, he deployed for a year-long deployment to Korea with the 25th Infantry Brigade, where he served with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. After his return from Korea, Bob was a Master Warrant Officer, MWO, with the Grey and Simcoe Foresters and a proud member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Bob worked for the Department of Public Highways of Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation for nearly 35 years. He volunteered with the Grey Roots Museum and received the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2016.

Bob has been a cornerstone in the community, specifically in the antique vehicle, military and museum circles. Many will remember him from Remembrance Day parades in his 1953 army Jeep.

I would like to commend Bob for his service to Canada and his community. I offer my deepest condolences to the Alexander family. Bob will certainly be missed by many. Pro patria. Lest we forget.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this time to thank the outstanding doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other allied health professionals and support staff at Markham Stouffville Hospital for their heroic and tireless dedication in fighting COVID-19 and for providing vital care to Markham—Stouffville residents when they needed it most.

In total, the hospital has admitted and treated over 600 COVID-19 patients. The very first patient to be intubated was Dr. Larry Pancer, a much-loved and respected pediatrician who has cared for patients at the hospital for over 30 years. Dr. Pancer's fight with COVID-19 was not easy, but thanks to the expert care he received at Markham Stouffville Hospital, he is home with his family.

I am sure that for the entire team at Markham Stouffville hospital, this has been the most challenging time of their careers. On behalf of the residents of our community, I want to thank them for their skill and incredibly demanding work during this difficult time. We are proud of them.

Mr. Speaker, Summer is off to a fast start in Etobicoke—Lakeshore. To be clear, I am talking about Summer McIntosh, the 14-year-old swimming dynamo.

At the 2021 Canadian Olympic swimming trials this past weekend, she made history, winning the women's 200-metre freestyle. Not only did she secure herself a spot to represent Canada this summer in Tokyo, but Summer now holds the fastest 200-metre freestyle time in history by a female swimmer aged 15 and under. She also ranks as the second-fastest Canadian woman of all time in the event.

Summer slammed it again in the 800-metre race. Her time of eight minutes and 29.49 seconds was almost four seconds under the Olympic standard needed for Tokyo. All eyes will be on her today as she takes on the 1,500 metres.

Summer comes to swimming naturally. The daughter of Jill Horstead, who swam for Canada in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games at age 17, Summer has followed in her mother's footsteps and will make our country, and our community in Etobicoke—Lakeshore, proud as part of the Canadian team.

This Summer is going to be great.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to address the Chair, my colleagues and all Canadians who are watching at home.

My deepest sympathies are with the grieving families, friends and colleagues of Jérôme, Vincent, Yannick and Benjamin.

I learned earlier this week that a third young man in the Montmagny region took his own life. He was the fourth member of the same group of friends who committed suicide in just two months. Now that the lockdown is finally over and students and graduates are getting ready for summer, these young men in their early 20s took their own lives.

Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. I want to tell all those who are hurting inside, those who are in the dark and who feel alone, to call someone, talk to someone and open their hearts so they can get help.

We do not know what people are hiding behind their smiles, but we are there for them. There is hope and they are loved. Sometimes we might be awkward, but we are there. Until an emergency line is set up, the best thing to do in Quebec is to call the telephone help line at 1-866-APPELLE in times of need.

Mr. Speaker, 400 years ago, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day was celebrated in Quebec on June 24 with bonfires along the St. Lawrence River. Now a national holiday for Quebeckers of all origins, this holiday celebrates our profound attachment to the nation we are today.

For me, Quebec's national holiday has always been an important day because it celebrates the nation I chose and that welcomed me 40 years ago, when I emigrated from Chile with my mother.

This year's theme is “Vivre le Québec tissé serré”, because we are close-knit and we have witnessed the great solidarity shown by the people of Hochelaga and everywhere in Quebec. To all the organizations in my riding that delivered thousands of meals and spread goodwill among our citizens, my deepest thanks.

I enthusiastically invite you to promote this Quebec nation which, generation after generation, expresses its pride, its solidarity and its attachment to its language and its culture, always open to the world.

I wish Quebeckers a happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and, of course, “Go, Habs, go!”

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the many struggling businesses, particularly those in the tourism sector, that have been impacted by the lack of communication and non-existent border opening strategy in this country.

Trix Star Productions, one of 133 tourism and hospitality businesses in my riding, is heavily reliant on cross-border revenue to operate and will not see a light at the end of the tunnel until this government implements a concrete plan with benchmarks and measurables to reopen the U.S.-Canadian border safely and effectively.

This government has refused to listen to recommendations of its own public health advisers, who argued that maintenance of supply chains and services was one of the reasons against a rapid border closure. The tourism and travel industry accounts for $43 billion of our GDP. U.S. visitors contribute $1.9 billion. We cannot deploy a full economic recovery until we safely and strategically execute a plan on a border reopening.

We need a plan and we need it now, or our economy and the people of the country will continue to suffer the consequences.

Mr. Speaker, on this day 36 years ago, June 23, 1985, a bomb exploded on Air India Flight 182 connecting Toronto to New Delhi. The mid-air explosion killed all 329 passengers. The majority of the victims were Canadians, including 82 children under the age of 13. Two of the victims, Kulbir Kaur Minhas and Balwinder Kaur Minhas, were my relatives.

The bombing was the single worst terrorist act in the history of Canada. A judicial inquiry determined that the bombing was a Canadian tragedy and the largest mass murder in Canadian history. To acknowledge the tragedy, June 23 was declared a National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism.

Sadly, every year the list of victims grows larger. Terrorists continue to target innocent people to further their causes. The recent attack in London was a horrific reminder that Canada must continue to stamp out terrorism in all its forms.

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to all the graduates from the many high schools in Edmonton Strathcona.

We are always proud of high school graduates, but to the class of 2021, I want to give a particular shout-out. They are all incredible for working so hard and accomplishing so much this year. In the midst of a global pandemic, they have demonstrated their determination and completed their high school diplomas.

An example of our phenomenal graduates is Nimra Hooda: the 2021 Strathcona leadership award recipient. Nimra, like so many students in Edmonton Strathcona, represents the very best of our youth. She empowers youth in our community, she works with residents in long-term care and she contributes so much to Old Scona Academic High School and to the broader Edmonton community.

Congratulations to Nimra and to all the amazing graduates in Edmonton Strathcona. They have overcome so many challenges this year, and these lessons will guide them in whatever future they choose. They should take a moment to appreciate this accomplishment. They have earned it and they deserve it.