Through this program 165 school aged children with special needs are paired with close to 200 student volunteers from Acadia University. The goal of the program is to enhance individual self-esteem by helping to improve the physical skills of the participants. The positive effects of improved self-esteem spill over in all aspects of their lives.
The SMILE program has been operating for 14 years and through tremendous efforts of both volunteers and participants everyone comes away with a positive experience.
I ask all members of the House to join with me in recognizing all those individuals who have made this program such a success.
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They say the act must be amended to: first, provide for mortgage prepayment, adopting a uniform prepayment penalty that consumers understand; second, define the interest rate differential formula based on the remaining term as the best method to achieve fairness; third, retain the three months penalty currently included in the National Housing Act; fourth, standardize the formula and right to prepayment with user friendly terminology to let people understand what they are signing; and finally, require lenders to reveal true mortgage borrowing costs to ensure the consumer clearly understands the terms and conditions.
Government should listen to consumers and representatives from the Canadian Real Estate Association who are in Ottawa this week to urge for measures to strengthen consumer rights by amending the Interest Act.
Mr. Woodman has been involved in the fisheries for over 40 years. He has held numerous important positions such as chairman of the Fisheries Council of Canada; chairman of the Fisheries Association of Newfoundland and Labrador; and chairman of Newfound Resources Ltd. He has been an active member of the FRCC since May 1993.
The FRCC will give immediate priority to the development of a groundfish conservation strategy and the development of a criteria for the reopening of the fisheries on a sustainable basis. Mr. Woodman's leadership skills and solid background in fisheries and conservation will be a guiding force for the council in his upcoming term.
Today in honour of Hamilton's sesquicentennial, His Worship Robert M. Morrow, mayor of the great city of Hamilton, and son honneur Lise Landry, mayor of the right honourable Prime Minister's hometown of Shawinigan, Quebec, announced the official launch of the Hamilton-Shawinigan sesquicentennial weekend initiative.
From June 29 to July 1, 150 families from Shawinigan will be invited to stay and visit with families in Hamilton, to renew and strengthen the cultural and social bonds between my hometown and its first twinned city, Shawinigan. The event will foster understanding, communication and mutual respect on a grassroots personal level between the proud Canadians living in Hamilton and Shawinigan.
It is my hope that this display of good natured Canadian fellowship will inspire similar projects throughout our great country.
It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I say long live Hamilton and vive Shawinigan.
When it went down on Saturday, the plane was on a flight between Miami and Atlanta. Our worst fears have now been realized. None of the 104 passengers and five crew members has been found.
This air tragedy was one of the most deadly on the North American continent in over 20 years. This unfortunate event reminds us of the importance of improving and tightening air transportation safety measures.
The members of the official opposition today wish to join Quebecers and Canadians in offering their sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the victims.
billion in one year flows between Canadian companies and foreign affiliates without being reported to Revenue Canada. And banks we are told are among the worst offenders. Imagine, corporate tax evaders and banks which dodge the law.
What is most disappointing about this story though is not the tax dodgers employed by the corporate elite. After all, we have been talking about that issue for years. What is most disappointing is that the government has known for years about this problem-the report was compiled in 1991-yet it has mustered little more than a lame response.
Canadians are tired of paying more taxes, receiving fewer services, watching the banks and big resource companies have their best times ever while paying lower taxes or even dodging them altogether.
It is time the government acted on behalf of those Canadians who pay taxes and pay the freight. It is time the government closed the loopholes on its wealthy corporate friends, just as New Democrats have been saying for some time now.
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Strange how all of a sudden the Bloc Quebecois seems concerned about francophones outside Quebec. It recognizes us only as an excuse to criticize the government.
Franco-Manitobans have fought long and hard for the right to speak and live in French. We now have our own school board, the largest French-language university and community college in western Canada, a newspaper, radio and television stations, theatre and music in French, and much more.
I applaud the tenacity and dedication of all francophone communities outside Quebec, which are doing all they can to survive and being quite successful despite the pessimistic and destructive attitudes of a few.
[English]
Last week the head of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada said: ``Canada is losing market share of exploration capital at an alarming rate''. As a prospector myself, I can assure the House that unless we fix our mining regulatory mess today, Canada will not have the new mines it needs tomorrow.
We must understand that we have had 15 years of declining mineral reserves from 1980 to 1994. The recent slight increase in investments results almost entirely from only two discoveries: diamonds in the Northwest Territories and nickel in Labrador.
Canada has the geology. We have reliable land tenure. But we do not have a simple, clear and timely system of government regulation. This government must deliver now on its promise of regulatory reform for mining or say goodbye to thousands of future Canadian jobs.
Now that the father of Manitoba has been so honoured, the Bloc Quebecois hopes the next step, an even more important step that this House should take, will be to unanimously agree to quash the guilty verdict against Louis Riel.
This would show that John A. MacDonald's mentality no longer prevails. In 1896, he told Quebec's Lieutenant-Governor, Rodrigue Masson, and I quote:
[English]
``He shall hang, even though every dog in Quebec barks in his favour''.
[Translation]
In other words: ``He shall hang, even though all dogs in Quebec bark in his favour''.
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Lately I have talked with the heads of several very fine temporary service firms. I wish to salute these fine honest firms, many of which are proud members of the Federation of Temporary Help Services.
Over the years this industry has developed a strong code of ethics and standards, to the point where today's legitimate operators display a high degree of professionalism. For instance, no portion of a temporary worker's wage is held by recognized temporary service firms which pay fair hourly wages, offer full statutory benefits and often provide job specific training.
As well, reputable temporary service firms do not charge a sign up fee to employers.
This band was the only junior high band at the festival. It was selected the most outstanding concert band, the most outstanding jazz band and the most outstanding ensemble for the jazz band trumpet section. They were the youngest musicians at the festival.
I hope all members will join me in congratulating Mr. Gary Adams, their teacher, and all these find young musicians for their tremendous success and hard work.
The Order of Canada recognizes Canadians from a variety of fields and backgrounds and pays tribute to their outstanding service and dedication to our country.
Senator Jack Marshall worked tirelessly as the MP for Humber-St. Georges-White Bay from 1968 to 1978. He then served Canada in the other place for 17 years.
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The motto of the order means ``they desire a better country''.
There is no question that Senator Marshall was dedicated to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and to the people of Canada. Senator Marshall was and continues to be a powerful advocate for Canadian veterans rights. Today he continues to volunteer his service to Canadians from within the Parliament offices. Such is the calibre and the dedication of this man.
Today it is appropriate for us as parliamentarians to recognize the dedication of this great Canadian and his award of the Order of Canada.
Representatives of the CEQ, the CSN, the FTQ and the Fédération des femmes du Québec have made one last-ditch attempt at changing the government's mind. They asked the Bloc Quebecois to table more than 40,000 postcards addressed to the Minister of Human Resources Development in protest.
Indifference and rashness typify the attitude of every single government member. Do they not realize that young people, women, immigrants and regions struggling with high unemployment, just to name a few, will be hard hit by their reform?
Arrogance and disrespect have a price and there will indeed be a very high price to pay when the people will finally get a chance to rebuke this government for not listening, because enough is enough, after all.
The Senate today is a functioning part of the parliamentary law making process in Canada. The outdated anachronism of Senate porky patronage appointments is unconscionable and must end because senators today, while not elected, are making key decisions on everything from human rights legislation to the Bank Act.
Last Thursday the Prime Minister said: ``I will name a senator who I will choose and who will represent my party in the House of Commons''. He also said: ``At a time when the senators are all Tories and the House of Commons is building legislation to be
passed, I will use my privilege and exercise my duty to name a senator who will respect the will of the House of Commons''.
The Prime Minister clearly shows his aggressive arrogance on this issue when he indicates his belief that the Senate is not for Canadians but is his tool to give the Liberal Party supporters patronage appointments.
The Speaker: Colleagues, in these statements we give every latitude to members, but I would caution all members to not reflect on the other place in a derogatory fashion.
For example, the mining sector shaped the development of several Quebec regions, particularly in the north, where I lived for a number of years. To this day, the mining industry remains a major economic development tool. Year in year out, mining shipments total between $2.5 and $3 billion. The mining industry is also a major employer, including in rural areas.
To be sure, the challenge for this sector is to turn to high technology and thus contribute-
The Speaker: I am sorry to interrupt the hon. member but his time is up.
Through its $3 million financial contribution, the Government of Canada concretely shows its interest in technological development and innovation, particularly in Quebec's publishing industry.
This initiative will allow the industry to be at the forefront of new technologies, thanks to the possibilities provided by multimedia and the information highway, which have become indispensable tools for the development of a modern society.
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[English]
Mr. Leo Carteri received the Prime Minister's award for teaching excellence in science a few weeks ago. Recently I was able to visit his school and attend a ceremony honouring him, his fellow teachers and of course the students.
Mr. Carteri's students rarely go home from the Canada-wide Science Fair without at least one prize. Mr. Carteri believes that competitions like these not only widen the students' academic horizons but also expose them to the corporate world through business scholarships.
Canada's youth is this government's priority. I know members of the House will join with me as I commend Mr. Carteri in helping to encourage and enrich our young people.