Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I have the honour to inform the Senate that pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on April 28, 2022, the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry deposited with the Clerk of the Senate on May 20, 2022, its third report, which deals with the subject matter of those elements contained in Parts 4, 5 and 6 of Bill S-6, An Act respecting regulatory modernization.

Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I rise today to highlight the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s National Tourism Week, which takes place from May 29 to June 4. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my honourable colleague Senator Sorensen for her work in supporting this important sector.

As we know, the tourism industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also clear that it will be one of the last industries to recover, despite the increase in travel in recent weeks. In 2019, 1 out of every 10 workers in Canada had a job related to tourism. However, by 2020, that changed considerably: The number of direct jobs decreased by close to 30%, and all related jobs dropped by 23%.

Tourism plays an important role from coast to coast to coast, including in rural communities. Rural Canada offers tourists many unique experiences that often cannot be replicated elsewhere in the world, such as the fairs that agricultural societies have been hosting for decades across this country.

As we approach the summer, we also approach the beginning of fair season. Fairs have a long-standing history in Canada and around the world. However, they’ve changed a bit since their interception. Early fairs were more like markets allowing local farmers to sell their produce, while other fairs held competitions for livestock, grains and other agriculture and home-crafted products. Today, fairs are the backbones of our rural communities, telling the history of rural life and providing an opportunity for people to reconnect with and learn about agriculture.

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In fact, several fairs are older than Canada itself, including Hants County Exhibition in Nova Scotia, Williamstown Fair just south of Ottawa and the Lachute Fair in Quebec. Honourable colleagues, if you have the opportunity to do so this year, I encourage you to visit and support a fair in your local community.

At this time, I would also like to thank the Tourism Industry Association of Canada for their devotion to serving Canadian tourism businesses and promoting positive measures to help the industry grow and prosper. I would also like to thank the many agricultural societies that organize fairs across this country for their continued dedication to our rural communities.

Honourable colleagues, I have had the opportunity to attend and participate in a number of fairs across Canada, so I know just how important fairs and exhibitions are to our communities. I hope that you, and Canadians across the country, take the opportunity to continue supporting our domestic tourism industry, whether that’s by visiting a fair, taking a “staycation” or touring a rural side of a new province. Thank you, meegwetch.