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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 212

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 13, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 212 - Jun/14/23
Mr. Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning, CPC)
  • Jun/14/23 12:17:18 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, of course, the hon. member is Lebanese, as I am, and we both share probably very similar experiences. How does she see the Lebanese community being more involved and being able to contribute more to Canada as the community itself is growing very fast these days?
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Context: House Hansard - 212 - Jun/14/23
Mr. Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, I was born in Lebanon, a land known for its beautiful mountains and magnificent valleys. Now I live in another country known for tall trees, beautiful mountains and magnificent valleys. Canada is my home. I grew up in a country with hot, humid summers and, in the mountain areas, lots of snow in the winter. I moved to a country with hot, humid summers and lots of snow in the winter. Canada is my home. The people of Lebanon are proud of their history, heritage and symbols. Perhaps none are more famous than the cedars that adorn the national flag. Canadians are proud of their history, heritage and symbols, and they too have a famous tree. The maple leaf on the flag shouts to the world “Canada is here”. In Lebanon, the people have learned to live together in harmony and work together to build a society. When I came to my new home, Canada, I discovered that the people here had learned to live together to bridge their differences. French, English and first nations laid the cornerstone for a country where language, race and creed are not as important as who we are as a person. Those founding groups have opened the door of this country to the world. Millions have come to Canada looking for a fresh start, including those from Lebanon. I was one of them. My story is not unusual. I came to Canada to seek an opportunity that was not possible in Lebanon at that time. The land of my birth had suffered from years of civil war. The rebuilding was going to take time. Jobs and educational opportunities were limited. It made sense to come to Canada, at least for a short period of time. That short time has been more than 30 years now, which is more than half of my life. When I came here, I did not know I was going to fall in love with this country. I am proud of my Lebanese heritage, but Canada is my home now and always. I am not alone in this feeling. There are more than 200,000 Canadians of Lebanese heritage. We are proud of our background, but prouder still to be a part of the greatest nation on earth. I am also proud to support Bill S-246 to establish Lebanese heritage month. It is time to recognize the contributions Lebanese Canadians have made to this country since the first Lebanese immigrant came to Montreal in 1882, Ibrahim Abu Nadir. His Canadian name was Abraham Bounadere, and he came from Zahlé, a city about 50 kilometres from my hometown Aaiha. I feel a certain kinship with the young man who took a leap of faith to come to Canada, never dreaming what the future would be for the Lebanese people here. Abraham was the first in the wave of immigrants coming to Canada looking for a better life and new opportunities. The first to come to Canada from Lebanon were mostly men with little education. Everything about the country was new to them, from the language to the climate to the ways of society. They discover that Lebanese values are Canadian values, including hard work, good manners, generosity, courage and honesty. Despite their different background, they found it easy to fit into Canadian society. They brought their families to Canada and built a community. Those of Lebanese background have become part of the fabric of Canada, and this dominion is stronger because of that. Wherever we Lebanese have found ourselves, we look for ways to strengthen the community. That is another similarity between Canada and Lebanon. Our common values include a desire to serve and work to help those around us. I am very much aware of the contributions of Lebanese culture and Lebanese people to Canadian society. We have had an impact greater than our numbers. It is a proud heritage, one that has shaped me and made me who I am today. When we think of the impact of Lebanese Canadians on our country, probably one of the first things that comes to most people's minds is business. The entrepreneurial spirit is stronger in Lebanese people. One could say that we prefer to be the boss. Leon's Furniture comes to mind. It was a small family business started by a Lebanese immigrant, Ablan Leon, more than a century ago. It has now grown to more than 10,000 employees and 80 locations across Canada. From small restaurants to major corporations, when we look at almost any business in Canada, we find someone of Lebanese background involved. However, it is not just business. When we talk about law, politics, medicine, music, academia or film, Lebanese Canadians have made their mark. Indeed, it was the grandson of a Lebanese immigrant who made one of the greatest Canadian films of all time. In 1970, working with a shoestring budget, Donald Shebib told the story of a couple of young men from the Maritimes, who felt homesick in their new life in the big city. Goin' Down the Road became an instant classic, a story that was true then and remains true today. It is a story that captures so much of what it means to be Canadian. We are a nation in progress, and sometimes we do not realize that life is pretty good just where we are. Today, many young people still leave Atlantic Canada looking for a new life elsewhere, and they discover that, in a big city, their hopes and dreams are not always fulfilled. However, that does not stop people from hoping, dreaming, persevering or achieving. Lebanese immigrants and people of Lebanese ancestry, full of hopes, dreams, perseverance and achievement, have been a central part of the Canadian experience for 150 years. We have come to this land from far away, and it has become our home. We are fond of Lebanon. We are enthusiastic about Lebanese culture, and especially Lebanese food. We are also passionate about Canada. The nation, culture and community that we call Lebanon has been around for millennia. The border of the Lebanese state has sometimes changed to adapt to political fortunes in the Middle East. Lebanon once again became an independent nation on November 22, 1943, 80 years ago this year. It seems to me that this anniversary date makes it appropriate that we designate November in Canada as Lebanese heritage month. I am proud to speak of my Lebanese heritage. I am prouder still to be able to call myself a Canadian. I love the land of my birth, and I still have family and friends there. However, Canada is not only the present but also the future for me and my family. Let us celebrate Lebanese heritage month. Let us celebrate the contribution of those early immigrants from Lebanon and their descendants to making Canada the great nation it is today. Let us also celebrate who we are today, proud of our heritage, but prouder still to be Canadian. Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, Bill S-246, An Act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month, be deemed to have been read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.
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