SoVote

Ms. Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton, CPC)

Feb/1/24 10:08:46 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present, which says that preserving the petitioners' Christian heritage, rooted in the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is vital. They seek to celebrate December as Christian heritage month annually, promoting love, equality and peace. They say that their Christian foundations, recognized globally, shape their identity. The undersigned residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to celebrate December as Christian heritage month annually.

77 words

Context: House Hansard - 273 - Feb/1/24

Ms. Anju Dhillon (Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, Lib.)

Feb/1/24 3:04:56 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Telefilm Canada has always played an essential role in the creation of films and television shows. Its productions reflect our cultural diversity and put Canadian talent on the world stage. Recent years have brought major challenges. Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell the House about measures in place to support the sector, promote Canadian French-language content and support our very own content creators?

67 words

Context: House Hansard - 273 - Feb/1/24

Mr. James Maloney (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Feb/1/24 5:50:06 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I am thrilled to stand in support of my colleague today in seconding Motion No. 75, recognizing the great contribution that Polish Canadians have made in building this country, naming May 3 as Polish constitution day and the month of May every year as Polish heritage month. First, I want to congratulate and thank my colleague from Mississauga East—Cooksville for this initiative. It has been a long time coming and I am proud to be part of this and I want to applaud him for that. As evidenced by my faux pas at the outset, I am proud of my Irish heritage. I am not Polish but I am hoping that by the time I sit down, people here today will understand why I am proud to have a strong connection to the Polish community not only in Etobicoke—Lakeshore but throughout my entire life. The ties between our two countries are strong and they run deep. The profound impact of our Polish Canadian community on Canada's social, cultural, political and economic landscape cannot be overstated. Polish immigration to Canada reaches back to as early as 1752, over 100 years before Confederation, when the first documented Polish immigrants set foot on Canadian soil in Montreal. While it would be naive to think that there were not struggles during the early decades after their arrival, like many immigrant communities who came after them, the Polish people endured and pushed forward to become an important part of the foundation of Canadian society. Our friendship and companionship have grown over the years. Polish soldiers trained in southern Ontario for the First World War. We fought together at Dieppe. Canada was the first country to approve Poland joining NATO in 1998 and our military co-operation continues as we work together to secure eastern Europe against Russian aggression. Our soldiers train together in Latvia, and we both share a vision for a democratic, unified and independent Ukraine. We are both adherents of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Together we fight and continue to work against tyranny. Economically, we are strong partners. In 2022, there was over $4 billion worth of trade between our two countries, up from $2.85 billion in 2018. The partnership is growing. The Polish people's dedication and perseverance have left an enduring mark on our nation and continue to do so. Our history books are filled with the names of many people of Polish descent in every occupation. Since the beginning of our Parliament, Polish Canadians have been in this House. I think of Alexandre-Édouard Kierzkowski, an MP from 1867 to 1870. I think of the Hon. Don Mazankowski, who served with distinction and honour as our deputy prime minister. There was the Hon. Steven Paproski and my friend Jesse Flis, who also served in this chamber. We have him to thank, in large part, for flag day, which we will be celebrating on February 15. I think, too, of Ted Opitz, who served in this House. Today, we have a number of Polish MPs or descendants of Polish families in our chamber, including four of my colleagues, one of whom sits just over there, from Windsor—Tecumseh and also the member for Calgary Shepard across the way. Provincially, I think of Bonnie Crombie who is an effective voice for the Polish community. She, too, served in this chamber. Of course, in my own riding, there is Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, who served municipally in the city of Toronto and proudly calls Etobicoke—Lakeshore home and has worked forward in getting us here today. Culturally, Polish Canadians have enriched the social and cultural fabric of our country. I think of pianist Janina Fialkowska, whose fingers have danced on piano keys for decades, entertaining people everywhere. Who did not grow up listening to Peter Gzowski on CBC? However, he was not the only famous Canadian Gzowski. His paternal great-grandfather was Sir Casimir Gzowski, of Polish nobility, who was a prominent engineer in Canada and who worked on the Grand Trunk Railway and the Welland Canal. Sir Casimir Gzowski was knighted by Queen Victoria. Canadian legend Geddy Lee, and I did not know this until recently, of Rush has been one of the biggest Canadian music influences in history, certainly in my lifetime, and has very strong Polish roots. His parents were Polish Holocaust survivors who emigrated to Canada. Actress and activist Lisa Ray, who grew up in Etobicoke, has a Polish mother. Media mogul Moses Znaimer's mother, too, was from Poland. Olympian Penny Oleksiak, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and current captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs John Tavares all have Polish roots. Today, Canada's Polish population is estimated at over 1.1 million people, 2.71% of the population and is concentrated mostly in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. I would like to thank the Canadian Polish Congress for all it does to promote awareness of and respect for Poland's history and heritage. As my friend across the way indicated, I am pretty sure if I look around, I could see them in Ottawa today. I know the president is here in Ottawa today, and I want to thank him for all he is doing, along with all his colleagues. I am proud to say the Polish presence and influence in my riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore is incredibly strong. Etobicoke—Lakeshore is home to the Consul General of the Republic of Poland. I would like to thank Magdalena Pszczółkowska, the Consul General of the Republic of Poland for all she does in Canada and in Etobicoke—Lakeshore. The faith of Polish Canadians is strong and is an inspiration. I think of St. Mark's Parish, St. Theresa's Parish and the Polish Full Gospel Church, all located in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. There are many other organizations: the Polish Association of Toronto, the Polish Teachers Association in Canada and the Polish Cultural Centre. There is a Seniors Polish Group that meets at the Stonegate Community Health Centre. We also have the Polish National Union of Canada, Branch 1 in Etobicoke—Lakeshore. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have such a vibrant Polish community at home. It did not start there. I was born and raised in Thunder Bay, which has a proud Polish community. I spent my youth going to mass at St. Mary Our Lady Queen of Poland Church with my mother, father and my two brothers. I vividly remember going to seven o'clock mass on Sunday nights. I have fond memories of going and buying perogies, and eating that fine Polish food at the Polish hall in Thunder Bay. I sent my brother a text earlier, just before I got up, asking if the Polish hall had a name, and he said that it was just called the Polish hall. I remember it well. Every year, I look forward to Polish celebrations, including in the neighbouring riding of Parkdale—High Park and the Roncesvalles Polish Festival, which marks its 17th anniversary this year. That is something to be very proud of. My point is that Polish Canadians continue to, as they always have, make Canada a better place. Motion No. 75 goes far beyond acknowledging the historical bonds connecting Canada and Poland. It celebrates the importance of those contributions. When we look at people in the Polish community, we see how proud they are to be Polish and how proud they are to be Canadians. That cannot be overlooked. That is why this motion is so important. To designate May 3 as Polish constitution day and dedicate the entire month of May to Polish heritage goes beyond symbolism. It recognizes and captures that importance. I want to thank every Polish Canadian for the contributions they have made to this great country. I look forward to supporting this motion. I know I do not have to ask, but I am going to do it anyway. I want every member in this House to join us in doing just that.

1353 words

Context: House Hansard - 273 - Feb/1/24

Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)

Feb/1/24 6:08:48 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise here to speak to Motion No. 75, Polish heritage month. I am going to read the motion, so that we have it in the record. This is important not only for the Polish community, but also for the country of Canada and the multiculturalism that we have. We also have a country that is being built by people coming here and contributing in many different ways, not only in terms of a heritage aspect but also in terms of the economy and civil society. That has been the experience of the Polish community in Windsor, which has done so much for so many years. This also reflects one of the reasons that we have heritage months and the recognition of different weeks. In Ontario, there is already a Polish Heritage Month. The motion moves that: (a) the House recognize the significant contributions Polish Canadians have made to Canadian society, economy, politics and culture, and the importance of educating Canadians of all ages about the core values that Polish Canadians have imparted to the strength and diversity of Canada; and (b) in the opinion of the House, the government should reflect upon Polish heritage for future generations and designate May 3 of every year as Polish Constitution Day, and the month of May, every year, as Polish Heritage Month. That is important not only for the Polish community but also for other communities. It means that we embrace multiculturalism and the participation of citizens who come to build a new life here, who bring some of their culture and experiences with them and get a chance to shape our democracy, our communities and our society. This is the experience I had with the Polish community before politics, when I worked at the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County, which also has a Polish carrousel as part of the Carrousel of the Nations, as well as when I became a city councillor. I want to recognize just one person of many. He is Jerzy Barycki of our Polish community and the Canadian Business and Professional Association of Windsor. It is very important to recognize the contributions one can make. Jerzy has been recognized with the Cross of Merit in Poland, the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and many other different things. I got to know him as just a citizen sitting on our panel at the race and ethnic relations committee of Windsor and Essex County, when I was chair of that committee. He brought forth the idea to have the city of Windsor twin with Lublin, Poland, and have our city expand its horizons. I saw a situation evolving that took from the streets of Windsor and Essex County and continued to grow that relationship with Lublin, making sure that we had civic engagement by all. We looked at the settlements of Polish citizens from the 1800s to the forefront of businesses, contributing and being part of our Armed Forces, our citizens who do work at home, our auto industry, manufacturing and a number of different avenues from very professional to blue collar. Delegations went over on several trips, and this convinced me that there is no doubt we can achieve just about anything. When I came here as a member of Parliament in 2002, I was fortunate to meet Joe Comartin, the former member of Parliament for Windsor—Tecumseh. Back in 2007, we started to press for a waiving of the visitor visa for Polish citizens. We knew that was a big issue with regard to getting some justice on that file, but we had a government at that time that we were not sure was going to do the right thing. Eventually, it did. I want to give credit to then minister Jason Kenney, who actually worked hard on this and deserves a note in this chamber for the hard work of making sure a change took place. That was one that was adopted by all the corners of the House, and it shows that, when we put ourselves to the test, at different times, we can find more in common than not. It does not always seem that this place is conducive to that, but the reality is that we can get some good work done. One thing I want to note with regard to this heritage month is that we have other ones that are emerging as well. With respect to the Polish heritage month, I hope the government allocates some resources to making sure that we actually have information and supports for programs and services. It may not be official in this motion, because that cannot be appropriate at this point in time. However, it should set a standard for places such as the Dom Polski in Windsor, where we have events and heritage months for Ontario. Now, hopefully, for this and other types of cultural engagement, there would be adequate supports and programs. That has happened at different points and different times over the years. Windsor and Essex county have seen this heritage play itself out with a lot of pride. I mentioned some World War II veterans who were in our contingent of support for the Canadian Armed Forces. Some of them came to my community. They were some of the hardest workers, who contributed to developing not only the Polish community but also the sectors we have in our country. Polish Canadians started immigrating to Canada in 1858, which is when recording began. I am sure others came before then. It is important that this chamber, not just Ontario, recognizes a heritage month because it is from coast to coast to coast. We reflect individually, which happens quite a bit, as we have heard other members, including me, talk about the experiences they have had in local communities. As we travel in this job across Canada and to other places, including the United States, where I have been many times, I have noticed that, in the many different communities in Canada, there is a special flavour and element that comes with the pride of having cultural celebrations that include other communities. Across the river from Windsor, two miles to the north, there is Detroit and the United States, and they do things differently than we do. It is not that they do not have those cultural connections, but there is a special element to Canada that is rather unique. With the opportunities I have, I find these motions are very important, but, at the same time, I hope they are going to continue to encourage the government to make sure that heritage and other types of budgetary expenses, which may be seen as soft to some members in this chamber who might see budgetary expenditures as a loss in supporting cultural celebrations, will create engagement with other countries, groups and organizations. In my community, Lublin, with the city of Windsor, citizens stepped up to help out. They create opportunities for economic development and diversity. I was one of the individuals put on the initial list of people who were banned in Russia. I did not mind. When I got the notification, my response was that I had hoped I could put myself higher on the list. It is because of some of the work I have done on this issue, among other things, and the importance we have as a country right now to support so many of the brothers and sisters in the Polish community within overlapping societies. The motion is symbolic in many respects. It is not legislation, but it would create an opportunity and a path forward. At the same time, I know it reflects the important grounding that is necessary. When we celebrate Polish Heritage Month in the province Ontario, it is a very special event, where there are professional discussions, celebrations, food and many different things. We have seen displays and other things that Jerzy and the rest of the group put together that have educated new people about Polish contributions, whether they are in arts, culture, the economy, or many different things. Those things lead to economic development. The delegations over the years have strengthened the relationship and economic opportunity. To wrap up, I am grateful I have had the opportunity to speak. This is very important for the Polish community, but it is also reflective of a country that accepts and wants the civic engagement of other cultures in the very fabric of how we do things on a daily basis. It is most important to recognize them through special relationships. Polish heritage month is well timed. It is due, and I thank the mover of the motion.

1462 words