René Arseneault

[Tourism Industry, November 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, New Brunswick has always been a great destination for tourists from across Canada and around the world. Tourism is vital to the province's economy. Tourism alone generates over a billion dollars in revenue every year and employs more than 27,000 workers.

However, this sector, these workers, these businesses and these communities are facing unimaginable hardships because of the ongoing pandemic.

Can the hon. Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance update the House on the work that the federal government is doing to support the tourism industry in the Atlantic provinces?

[Order Respecting the Business of the House and its Committees, November 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating you on your new role. With immeasurable solemnity, Atlantic Canada proudly greets the sun each day before it casts its light across central Canada. Light comes from the Atlantic. With an Acadian in the Speaker's chair, the beautiful star that graces our Acadian flag shines even brighter.

That said, during the election campaign in which we all participated, not a single individual, association, municipality or stakeholder expressed dissatisfaction with the hybrid Parliament that was operating in the midst of the COVID‑19 crisis. On the contrary, people congratulated us for being more present on the ground in our constituency.

Without straying too far from the exact purpose of this motion, I would like to emphasize the fact that people talked to us about COVID‑19 and about recovering from the crisis, and they congratulated us on the work we accomplished while hybrid sittings were in effect.

I would like to ask my young colleague, who was recently out there campaigning, if he heard the same thing during his campaign.

[Summer in Madawaska—Restigouche, June 17th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that our borders are finally open, and we are really beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel after many months of discipline, sacrifice and patience.

This summer is the perfect time to come and discover the people in my region. I invite everyone to come and experience our indigenous, Acadian, Irish and Scottish cultures, and enjoy the festivals that will be taking place throughout my riding this summer.

Whether travelling solo or with family or friends, everyone is invited to come taste the beers crafted by our microbreweries, feel the salt winds of Chaleur Bay, and bask in the tranquility of our beautiful lakes. Enjoy the lull of the current carrying their kayak down our majestic rivers or the thrill of a mountain bike ride on one of our woodland trails through the heart of the Appalachians.

We invite our beloved neighbours, friends and relatives to visit, or revisit, our beautiful riding of Madawaska—Restigouche.

I wish everyone a great summer. As La Sagouine would say, “v'nez nous ouère”. For those who do not speak Chiac, that means come and see us.

[Sophie Nadeau Becker, June 14th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, today, I would like to recognize another young entrepreneur from my region, Sophie Nadeau Becker, who is 11 years old.

This young lady from Saint-Jacques is already business-savvy. She recently launched her family micro-business, which makes and sells homemade treats and bandanas for dogs. Her business is called Ohlala... de Sophie.

Once a week, with her brother Félix's help, Sophie makes dog biscuits and sells them to local stores.

The business has expanded such that it has now more than 200 clients. The young entrepreneur is even looking for students to join her team this summer.

We admire our amazing young entrepreneurs, who continue to astound us and show us that the future of our economy is in good hands.

Let us encourage our youth to believe in their dreams; they may well come true.

In the meantime, I encourage the people of Madawaska—Restigouche to treat their furry four-legged friends to Ohlala... de Sophie products.

[Stéphanie Bellavance, June 7th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the ongoing pandemic has brought out the resourcefulness, creativity and determination of our entrepreneurs. I would like to share with the House the story of Stéphanie Bellavance, from Saint-Quentin.

Her hair salon had to close for two periods because COVID-19 cases were increasing in her area. Being a hairdresser for 16 years, she has not given up and instead has managed to diversify and expand her business.

Stéphanie wanted to expand her services by selling a new product, modified hair extensions exclusive to her salon. In addition, she developed an online coaching program about one of her passions, healthy living.

She rolled up her sleeves and followed online courses to develop and increase her business. Therefore, if in the future her business must close due to COVID-19, she will still be able to sell her product and offer online coaching.

To all the Stéphanie Bellavances in Canada, I say well done. I congratulate them for their perseverance and their contributions to our economy.

[Malik Duguay, June 3rd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the young people of Madawaska—Restigouche are certainly inspiring.

A 12-year-old young man from my riding decided to start a business. With the help of his family, Malik Duguay started a company called Hogwork's. He makes and sells magic wands inspired by the Harry Potter universe. He sculpts the wands himself, paints them and adds details. He also adds copper and metal detailing, depending on the order. The company continues to grow, year after year, and is now doing so well that Malik has made over 200 magic wands that have been sold to customers around the world. His fondest dream is for his company to grow even bigger. Given his perseverance, I have no doubt that he will succeed.

On June 9, Malik will receive the Leaders de demain award for future leaders.

Anyone who would like to experience a little magic during this pandemic can buy a wand on the Hogwork's website or Facebook page.

Congratulations, Malik, and good luck with this venture.

[Loïck Thomas, June 1st, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, a young boy back home in Madawaska—Restigouche is proving that one small gesture can make a big difference. Four-year-old Loïck Thomas was disgusted by all of the litter he was seeing, so in late March, he started picking up litter and putting it into garbage bags.

After having reached his first objective of collecting 1,000 garbage bags, this young boy has set himself a new challenge and is now aiming for 10,000 bags. Through social media, this beautiful initiative by Loïck and his family inspires people of all ages, even outside New Brunswick, to participate in this good deed.

How can we help Loïck to meet his challenge? It is very simple. A person can just post a photo of themselves and their garbage bag full of waste and share it on the Facebook page “Projet de Loïck Project”.

Let us all work together to help our planet, one bag at a time.

[Indigenous Affairs, May 25th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, honouring Canada's legal obligations to first nations and working collaboratively to renew relationships are key to righting historical wrongs and advancing reconciliation with first nations in Canada.

Our government and the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation recently concluded a negotiated settlement that resolves the first nation's specific claim. I believe that this land claim settlement with the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation is the largest land claim settlement in the Maritimes. Can the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations inform the House of the progress that has been made in resolving that claim?

[Graduations, May 13th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize all the academic achievements of all high school, college and university graduates for the year 2021, and congratulate them. They should be very proud of their accomplishments and their journey.

Despite this global pandemic, they have overcome the challenges and obstacles of life. With their determination, their dedication and their resilience, they still managed to finish this chapter of their lives. It is now the time to honour their success with their family and friends.

They have worked so hard to get here. This diploma is just the beginning of their own journey. The next page in their big book will be about their passion, imagination and creativity.

They must dare to believe in themselves, in their dreams and in their future. For those who continue their studies, we wish them a beautiful continuity. For the ones starting their career, we wish them great success.

Once again, I congratulate them on their graduations.

[New Brunswick Municipal Councillors, May 11th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was election day for most municipalities of beautiful New Brunswick. The results will be known in a few days.

Before the results come out, I want to congratulate the 15 mayors and municipal councils in my beautiful riding of Madawaska—Restigouche for their hard work and dedication. Their terms were extended by one year because of COVID-19.

They have been hard at work during these years working on infrastructure projects, for instance festivals, cultural events, etc. Being on a municipal council takes a lot of time, and I thank all of these people for generously giving their time for the best interest of their respective communities.

To the outgoing mayors and councillors who will be retiring, I want to say thank you so much for your work, and I wish you luck in your future endeavours.

To the ones re-offering a new mandate and to all the new candidates, I wish the best of luck.

I look forward to working with the new municipal councillors. Together, we will accomplish great things for Madawaska—Restigouche.