First of all, I would like to welcome the Croatian community here to Queen’s Park today. Thank you for being here. It is my honour to speak again about this great bill that my friend the member for Flamborough–Glanbrook has introduced. I want to thank her for bringing this forward and for the opportunity to speak in support of this bill, which would proclaim Croatian Heritage Day each year on May 30.

Ontario is a dynamic and thriving multicultural community. People are coming here from across the world. As you stroll down the streets in my riding of Mississauga–Lakeshore, you will see many diverse smiles, hear various languages and smell the aroma of delicious international cuisines. As our population increases, our economy, culture and society grows. It is vital to recognize the great contributions of new Canadians to our community.

Croatians have a proud history here in Ontario dating back to the 1920s, when they immigrated looking for a better life. They are well known for their commitment to serve humanity and create a robust community. The business sector has seen some of the most remarkable contributions from Croatian immigrants, notably in information technology, hospitality, construction and manufacturing. A large number of the first Croatian immigrants found employment in my riding at the Port Credit brickyard, which later evolved into the Texaco refinery, where my father worked for 30 years and, and in its current state now, the Brightwater development in my great riding of Mississauga–Lakeshore. They helped to produce more than 15,000 bricks every day to use in construction projects across the region, including my family’s home, which is directly across the street from the old brickyard and now is recognized as a heritage property by the Ontario Heritage Act.

At first, Croatian immigrants working at the brickyard were mostly male, but then women began to immigrate to Mississauga to join their husbands. These women only had letters that their husbands had sent them to rely on for information about their new home here in Canada.

While every Croatian came to Canada with a willingness to work extremely hard, women faced more barriers than men. The 1930s saw Croatian women move into semi-skilled labour positions, and from there, they set off to new positions. A page had turned in the history of Croatian women here in Canada. They were no longer only wives or domestic workers. During the Second World War, some went to work in the small arms building in Lakeview, manufacturing guns that were critical to the war that Canada was in during the Second World War.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I want to thank my friend who introduced this bill. I also want to thank the consul general from the Republic of Croatia here in Mississauga, Ante Jović, for his support, because without him we would not have been able to do this bill here today. So I want to thank you for that.

As well, I can’t wait to celebrate Croatian Heritage Day on May 30. Thank you. And thank you to the Croatian community that I was brought up with.

It’s my great honour to welcome the amazing crew from NDP Western who are visiting Queen’s Park today, including Austin Wang, Liam Solomon, Alex Wild, Marek Brooking, Can Batili, Nicholas Pestill and Ismael Sayal. You’re all an inspiration.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t welcome members of my legislative and constituency team, Marie Rioux and Sarah Lehman.

I hope you have a great visit today.

I’d like to introduce folks from the Lake Simcoe area who have travelled here to recognize World Water Day: Ann Truyens, from AWARE Simcoe; Linda Wells, from Barilla Park Residents Association; Penny Trumble, Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation; Rostyslaw Pityk from Innisfil District Association; Jean Ucar, Innisfree cottagers; Jack Gibbons, Lake Simcoe Watch; and Katharine Harries, Midland field naturalists. Welcome to Queen’s Park.