Emmanuel Dubourg

[Citizens of Bourassa, November 24th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, as this 44th Parliament gets under way, I want to sincerely thank the people in the riding of Bourassa who placed their trust in me by electing me for the fourth consecutive time.

What a privilege it is. I am so proud to represent them.

I would like to take a moment to thank my staff for the quality of the services they provide. I also want to thank my family for their unwavering support, as well as the many volunteers who contributed to my campaigns.

The quality of people's lives has improved significantly since 2015, but much remains to be done. We must work together to continue to combat insecurity, create more affordable housing, support seniors and, most importantly, build a sports facility.

People of Bourassa, rest assured that I will always be at your side, à vos côtés, a su lado, al vostro fianco, ana maatcom, avèwmapmaché.

[Medal Awarded by MP for Bourassa, June 21st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, as part of the third “eminent men in Bourassa” ceremony, which was held in Bourassa, I had the honour of celebrating six men, who lead various organizations, for their significant contributions to making our riding a better place to live.

At this ceremony, held on Father's Day, I handed out certificates to these men and awarded them the Bourassa MP's medal for distinguished service. The recipients are François Bérard, Antonio Bernabei, Omar Messioun, Will Prosper, Martin Rodrigue and José Trottier.

It is important to point out the accomplishments of these men in the riding of Bourassa and to present them to my colleagues in the House of Commons.

[Official Languages, June 17th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the government introduced Bill C‑32, which seeks to modernize the Official Languages Act. This bill contains historic measures to protect and promote French across Canada, including in Quebec.

Can the Minister of Official Languages tell the House how Bill C‑32 will help us achieve real equality between our two languages?

[Committees of the House, June 15th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, entitled “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Government’s Ability to Deliver Information and Services in Both Official Languages”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Small Business, June 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I was delighted to launch the Black entrepreneurship loan fund earlier this week, alongside the Minister of Small Business. The fund is the first of its kind in Canada. Black entrepreneurs can apply for loans of up to $250,000 to start, grow and expand their businesses.

Can the Prime Minister explain how this fund fits into our government's approach to empowering these entrepreneurs?

[Émilie Gagné, May 26th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Ms. Émilie Gagné.

During the pandemic, the Sainte-Colette school, in the riding of Bourassa, called on Ms. Gagné. Some of the five- and six-year-old children were showing certain signs: They squinted and held their paper up close to their eyes. These children had vision problems.

The school teaches students whose parents are asylum seekers who have not yet received their health cards. Ms. Gagné, who is a trained optician and whose two children go to Sainte-Colette school, gathered together professionals, volunteers and sponsors, and gave the children eye exams.

Over 20% of the students needed glasses. Ms. Gagné offered free glasses to 21 students to help them learn and succeed at school.

On behalf of the parents, the school, and on my own behalf, I congratulate Ms. Émilie Gagné for her extraordinary initiative.

[Mother's Day, May 10th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, on Mother's Day, I surprised some of the mothers in my riding of Bourassa.

We ordered cakes, candies and flowers to be delivered to over 1,000 seniors in retirement homes and golden age clubs.

These cakes were created by students at the École hôtelière de Montréal Calixa-Lavallée, in my riding. They recently won an international prize at the Academy of Chocolate Awards 2020, in London.

The special get-togethers for wonderful mothers were organized in strict adherence to public health measures. They allowed seniors to break their isolation and gave us a chance to celebrate all the ladies who raised us.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers.

[Committees of the House, May 6th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages entitled “Conference Interpreters: The Cornerstone of Bilingualism in Parliament”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[The Budget, April 28th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, on April 19, the government presented a historic budget. It was historic because a female Minister of Finance did a great thing by breaking this glass ceiling for the first time in the history of Canada. This detailed budget is also historic because it sets out a plan to conquer the pandemic, punch our way out of the recession and build a better future.

Whether we are talking about Canadians, businesses or community organizations, there is good news for everyone in this budget. As the representative for the riding of Bourassa, I am particularly happy to see investments to combat domestic violence, build housing, support mental health, help our community organizations and provide significant support for Black Canadians.

Our budget is dead on. With our government, we are going to emerge stronger from this pandemic.

[Montreal North Religious Leaders, April 21st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about how religious leaders are helping to fight COVID-19 in Montreal North, in the riding of Bourassa.

Thirty or so religious leaders, including pastors, imams, priests and a Buddhist monk, participated in a virtual meeting that I had the honour of organizing. These leaders were joined by experts such as Montreal's regional director of public health; Senator Mégie; Mr. Boisrond, a sociologist; medical associations serving the Haitian community; and officials from the Montreal Island North health and social services centre, the CIUSSS.

In order to foster positive attitudes toward vaccination among members of religious communities, they suggested a communications campaign to counter misunderstandings and misinformation about the vaccine. Many expressed an interest in having the CIUSSS set up temporary vaccination clinics in their places of worship. I applaud the religious leaders who participated in the meeting for their dedication and involvement.