- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Conservative
- Edmonton Manning
- Alberta
- Voting Attendance: 63%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $109,026.29
- Government Page
- Nov/22/23 2:12:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, Canadians with Lebanese ancestry are remembering our roots and celebrating our heritage. The modern Lebanese state was founded 80 years ago today.
Of course, we Lebanese have been around a lot longer than 80 years. Lebanon has seen empires come and go over the past several thousand years. The first Lebanese immigrant came to Canada in 1882, seeking and finding a better life. Thousands more followed to this land of limitless opportunity.
We Lebanese pride ourselves on making a positive contribution wherever we are. Canada has benefited from the skills and energy of those Lebanese who have made this country their new home. Today, as we celebrate the birth of modern Lebanon and Lebanese Independence Day, I invite all Canadians to celebrate with us.
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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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- 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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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the hon. member for his bill coming to third reading and passing most of the difficulties that any bill can face in the House.
Ottawa is a place with a very large Arab community. I know that my own Lebanese community is quite established here. Could the hon. member give us one incident that he found in the past about the community's involvement and contribution adding to the enrichment of Canadian history and Canadian society?
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- Nov/22/22 2:01:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as a young man filled with hopes and dreams, I came to Canada from Lebanon, which is a country rich in tradition.
Here, I found opportunities that led to a career, a family and now the privilege of serving the people of Edmonton Manning in the House. I love Canada, but I will never forget my homeland. Today, Lebanese people celebrate their independence day. It has been 79 years of democracy and of freedom from colonial rule.
Lebanon, today, faces economic and political challenges, but its strength is its people. Working together, they and we can help Lebanon become the beacon of the Middle East and a model of tolerance and openness for the entire world.
Those of us of Lebanese descent are remembering their homeland with appreciation today. The values we learned there have made us better citizens in our new homelands.
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Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to offer my support for this bill, the Arab heritage month act. I want to thank the hon. member for Ottawa South for bringing this matter to the attention of the House. There are more than a million Canadians of Arab descent. They are found in every province and territory. Each one has a different story of how they or their ancestors came to this country.
No matter where they came from originally, whether it was Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Palestine, Jordan or any of a dozen other countries, one of the things Arab-Canadians have in common is that they came here seeking a better life. Another thing they have in common is their desire to give back to Canada. It is that desire to give back that I want to celebrate today. There are those of Arab heritage who have become well known in Canadian society. They are not thought of as hyphenated, but as proud Canadians.
Some of those with Arab heritage have become well known in our society. Actor Keanu Reeves was born in Lebanon. Hockey star Nazem Kadri is of Lebanese descent, as is filmmaker Donald Shebib. Being in Ottawa, I must mention singer Paul Anka, whose family came from Lebanon and Syria. That is not to mention the long list of Canadian politicians with Arab roots, some of whom are sitting today in the House of Commons.
There have been many business people as well. Arab-speaking Middle Easterners are known the world over for their entrepreneurial skills. While there may be instability in their home countries, they have flourished in their new lands. Unlike the famous actors, musicians and politicians of Arab descent whose names are well known, most of the entrepreneurs spend their careers outside of the public eye. Their contributions to Canadian society, though, are deep and long lasting.
I too am an Arab, an immigrant, and my story is like that of many others. I came to Canada leaving behind a country that had suffered from 15 years of civil war. I had few memories of what life was like in a country at peace. I was looking for a new life.
It was a beautiful snowy day on December 19, 1990, when I just arrived at the Edmonton International Airport, and I had never felt so cold, at -20°C, before. More than two dozen people were waiting to welcome me in the wonderful city of Edmonton, Alberta. The warmth of their reception made up for the chill in temperature. On the drive to the north side of Edmonton, with the white of the snow covering the fields and the roads, I felt peace and tranquility mixed with excitement. This was to be home.
The next morning, I went outside and took a deeper breath of fresh cold air. It tasted of freedom and opportunity. There was something about this place that made me believe that the choice I made to immigrate from Lebanon to Canada was the right choice. Looking at the challenges ahead of me, I could see possibilities of success looming much larger than failure. I found my first job at a factory on the north side working as a labourer, packing furniture. A few months later I made a transition to the cost accounting department. I learned manufacturing first-hand, and realized how important this sector is to the Canadian economy.
Through that factory I made my way to the international market, exploring an opportunity to promote a made-in-Edmonton product in the Middle East. Only two months after becoming a Canadian citizen, I was once again on a plane, but this time as a proud Canadian exploring the Middle East to open markets for Canadian products, in a region where Canada is respected as a beacon of freedom, democracy and peace.
As my horizons expanded, I began to understand what makes the economy grow and how opportunities could be found. Opening that Middle East market was a success story for a local manufacturing company and a professional milestone for this new immigrant.
In Edmonton's Castle Downs community, I became involved with a group of volunteers, wanting to make a difference and give back to the community. I looked at politics and got to know the system, to better understand how to make our lives better and to help shape policies for the betterment of all. There I met wonderful, dedicated people who were passionate about service. I learned more and more about the local communities and became familiar with the different dynamics within our small world.
As I said, my story is typical of so many Arabs who have come to this country to seek a better life and to give back to the community. I am proud of my heritage and am happy to see the establishment of Arab heritage month. I am prouder still to be a Canadian and to have been chosen by my fellow Canadians to represent them in the House of Commons.
I would be remiss if I did not take time to sing the praises of the Arab language that is spoken by so many Canadians. It is the language of poetry and mysticism, law and humour. Just the sound of it is pleasing even to those who do not understand it. It is a language that unites people across the Middle East and north Africa. The rich literature that can be found in Arabic tells the story of many cultures united under a common banner. To me, that sounds like Canada.
The Arabs have always exported their culture. One can see the Arabic influence when one visits Spain's Andalusia region and sees the Arab influence in the architecture of the region.
Who are the people we celebrate with this bill today? They are employees and employers, doctors and nurses, athletes, singers, actors and audiences. They come from all walks of life, from every strata of society, united by their heritage and a common identity as Canadians.
Let us join together in the House and support this bill. Let us declare Arab heritage month, and let us celebrate the contributions of Arab Canadians to this great country. In making Canada their home, they have enriched us in too many ways to count. Let us make this, and every April, a celebration of a culture that has contributed so much to the richness of Canada. Let us honour those Arab Canadians who have contributed to making this country a multi-ethnic, multiracial mosaic where people live in peace and security.
Canada is an example of what society can be when people celebrate their heritage without forgetting what unites them in common purpose. Let us celebrate Arab heritage month, and whoever we are and wherever we are from, we can all eat some baklava and shawarma at the end of the day.
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