Hon. Leo Housakos: Honourable senators, as a friendly critic of this legislation, not only am I rising to express my unreserved support for this bill, but, in so doing, I also promise not to take up the full 45 minutes of my allotted time.

I’ll start by thanking the sponsor, Senator Jane Cordy, for bringing this legislation forward, and for all of her hard work, and that of her team, in getting it to this point.

The vast majority of Lebanese immigrants came to Canada between the years of 1975 and 1990. They were fleeing the Lebanese Civil War, which drives home the point that so many immigrants have come to this country fleeing desperate situations in their homeland. They’ve come here seeking freedom, peace, opportunity and prosperity.

Like every single Canadian — arriving directly or indirectly — who has been here for years, we’ve come here fleeing either civil war or economic hardship, looking for freedom and opportunity. Of course, that is what this great country has offered to immigrants for decades and decades.

But Canada’s Lebanese communities date back much further than that. There are some who can trace their roots all the way back to the first influx of Lebanese immigrants who came through Halifax’s Pier 21 in 1880.

My own parents came through Halifax in the late 1950s, seeking refuge from a beautiful homeland but, nonetheless, one that was ravaged by civil war, economic hardship and the devastations of World War II. They came here with the dream of a better future for themselves and their children. They achieved that through hard work and perseverance.

I remember saying to my parents — and my mother, in particular, who is no longer with us; God rest her soul — “You left your country at the age of 17, and travelled halfway around the world. Many years later, what are your thoughts about your decision?” My mother said, “I’ll never trade that decision for anything in the world, and I’ll never trade this country. As a young woman in my country, I worked extremely hard; and the harder I worked, the more I remained standing in the same place. The future seemed bleak. I came to Canada with one dream: following the rules and laws and working hard. The harder I worked, the further I got.”

That is what Canada is all about to all the immigrants whom we have embraced. Of course, the Lebanese community is just one of the sums of all the parts of this great country. Like many immigrant groups, they came to this country, worked hard and contributed to the fibre of our country — they have done so culturally in terms of the wonderful Mediterranean cuisine that we all enjoy, and that has emulsified into Canadian cuisine. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Asian, South Asian, Greek, Italian, Irish or French; you put it all together, and that’s what Canada represents — the best of all that the world has to offer.

The Lebanese community has excelled as entrepreneurs. We’ve seen this from coast to coast to coast. They have added to the cultural fabric of this country. Many who fled Lebanon came to this country already being officially bilingual — they didn’t need to enrol in the French immersion program — and they blended into that fibre in terms of our bilingualism. The Lebanese community is vibrant in Halifax — in English.

[Translation]

The Lebanese community is also vibrant in Montreal — in French. It is a minority community, but one that is well integrated into Quebec, in French.

[English]

In Canada, we have many examples of members of the Lebanese community who have excelled in all walks of life. In athletics, Nazem Kadri is an NHL hockey player and Stanley Cup champion; and Marwan Hage is a Grey Cup champion who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. There have been many politicians of Lebanese descent. The former premier of Prince Edward Island, Joe Ghiz, was such a good premier that, years later, they elected his son as premier.

In the Parliament of Canada, in our own chamber, Senator Pierre De Bané was one of those giants from whom I learned about how to do my job in the upper chamber. Ziad Aboultaif is a Conservative member of Parliament from Alberta. Lena Metlege Diab is a Liberal member of Parliament from Nova Scotia. Fayçal El-Khoury is the Liberal Member of Parliament for Laval—Les Îles. There are so many others, including Kevin O’Leary — we can go on and on. We all recognize their great contributions.

I thank Senator Cordy for moving this bill — it is important. Some will make the argument that we already have too many heritage months and too many days, and pretty soon we’re going to run out of days. Senator Plett and I have had a couple of debates on this in private. I am of the view that our institution has to represent all the sums of our country, and we have to celebrate the contributions of every single group. If we have a multiple number of celebrations on a multiple number of days, so be it. At the end of the day, we, as parliamentarians, have to recognize and celebrate our diversity. That’s what being Canadian is all about. That is why I wholeheartedly support this initiative by Senator Cordy, and I hope that we provide it with unanimous support. Thank you, colleagues.

Hon. Leo Housakos: Honourable senators, in the words of a famous senator, I will be brief this evening.

I rise to participate in debate on Bill S-246, an act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month designating the month of November as Lebanese Heritage Month, a motion that has been sponsored by the Honourable Senator Cordy, and seconded by the Honourable Senator Dalphond. Of course, I am the critic of the bill, but a very friendly critic of this bill.

I think each and every one of us should recognize that this is an important bill — important for the Canadian Lebanese community and for all of us. Even though I heard through the years some senators sometimes rise and say that we have too many designated dates and months, the reality of the matter is that Canada is essentially strong because of all the sums of all our parts. It is imperative that all our parts feel that Canadian family and recognition.

Of course, the Lebanese community is one of those communities that has made tremendous contributions. They first arrived in this country in 1880, and through a river of immigration have come and flowed into the country decade after decade, making huge contributions in all walks of life. When they arrived here, many of them through Pier 21 in 1880 — they arrived like all of us did. It doesn’t matter if we are direct immigrants or children of immigrants. We all have fled someplace in the world because of conflict, poverty or political strife. We all come to this country, and what do we seek? We seek freedom, democracy and opportunity. It doesn’t matter if it’s the people who are Indigenous to this land or the two founding peoples of this Confederation or everybody in between.

We’ve all come here and we have laid our stake and we’ve built. The Lebanese community who came here — the first arrivals in 1818 — they all engaged in various trades: the mining industry, agriculture, of course. Many of them were itinerant peddlers who sold and bought products from coast to coast and they flourished, and they have made their contribution in many ways.

The first immigrant who arrived right here in Ottawa — her name is Annie Midlige — and she settled in Ottawa, colleagues, in 1895 and started her own fur trading company. Imagine; she wasn’t intimidated by the Hudson’s Bay Company whatsoever. She started her own company right here in Ottawa and she flourished.

In British Columbia there were two brothers, Abraham and Farris Ray, who began their careers in Victoria as itinerant peddlers.

In Alberta, the first Lebanese immigrants who arrived there were a gentleman named Ali Abouchadi, later known as Alexander Hamilton, and his uncle Sine Abouchadi. In 1905, they started peddling goods between Edmonton and Lac La Biche. By the 1920s, Mr. Alex Hamilton was one of the most successful businessmen in that particular town.

In Prince Edward Island, by 1905, there were two dozen Lebanese licensed peddlers on the Island, and before you knew it, they had branched out into various enterprises and businesses.

Of course, in every part of the country we see the Lebanese community. They’ve set up vibrant communities in terms of cultural centres, religious centres, and, of course, they are famous for their great entrepreneurial spirit. Who hasn’t enjoyed Lebanese and Mediterranean food like I did, of course, today at lunch? In every region of the country, they have very much become part of the fibre of our diet in many ways.

Colleagues, it’s more than that. They’re integrated very well. They’re multilingual immigrants when they arrive here. In large part, of the 250,000-strong Canadians of Lebanese descent, many are in the most beautiful city in this country, Montreal, my own town, where they are business leaders, community leaders and academics.

Senator Gold will also recognize that. I think this is one issue we will be in agreement about. I think they’ve made a fantastic contribution.

Further to that, when they arrived here, they did what they had to do, like all immigrants. My late mom always said to me — I asked her, “What was the driving reason you came here?” She said:

Look, where I came from you would work as hard as you want and it seems you’d never be getting anywhere. When you come to Canada, it’s very simple. You work hard, and the harder you work, the further you get.

A couple of weeks ago, I was walking into one of my favourite ice cream parlours. There is a gentleman named Sam; he is of Lebanese descent. He owns three parlours across the city of Montreal, a very successful man. He immigrated back around 25 years ago. He works extremely hard and is well-to-do. I said, “Sam, you’re working very hard. You are of a certain age. You don’t need to be working this hard.” He said:

Look, Canada afforded me great things. Because where I came from I worked very, very hard and I didn’t seem to get anywhere. Here, the harder I work, the further I get, and it’s a wonderful thing.

It just brought literally word for word the memories that my late mom shared with me, someone who came through the Port of Halifax in 1957 with a dream.

The Lebanese community, every single one of the immigrants, came with a dream and have attained that dream. If you look at the success stories in all walks of life — I did a little bit of research and, of course, senators, MPs, business people and academics. Right in this chamber, when I first arrived here, of course, there was my former colleague senator Mac Harb. Very quickly I learned he was of proud Lebanese descent. Parliamentarians on the House side: former parliamentarians like Allan Koury, who was elected in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve as a Conservative in Montreal in 1988; Maria Mourani, who was elected; and Eva Nassif; and, of course, my good friend Fayçal El-Khoury, who is currently the Member of Parliament for Laval—Les Îles; and, of course, Ziad Aboultaif, my good friend, I think, from the riding of Edmonton Manning, who is a great representative of the Lebanese community.

Former premier Joe Ghiz from Prince Edward Island. Colleagues, not only is he of Lebanese descent but he was also the first premier elected in Canada who was not of European descent, and that was a historic and a proud element that the Lebanese community celebrates all the time.

Walter Assef, the Mayor of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Eddie Francis, the Mayor of Windsor.

Of course, in the academic field, Henry Habib — Professor Habib; Dr. Justine Sergent, a famous neurologist in Canada; Professor Gad Saad, who teaches at the John Molson School of Business, which I know Senator Loffreda is very much affiliated with.

Lebanese Canadians are very proud of artists like Keanu Reeves, who was born in Beirut and raised in Toronto. Of course, all of us, Canadians of all origins are very proud of the fact that Keanu Reeves is someone of Lebanese and Canadian background.

Of course, Kristina Maria, a singer my kids informed me about. It’s a little bit more their speed; I’m still the old guy. My kids call me “boomer.” So here I am.

Of course, Marwan Hage, who played in the Canadian Football League for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. And, of course, we all know Nazem Kadri, the Stanley Cup champion who is now playing for the Calgary Flames.

And there is a long list of entrepreneurs and business people, starting with Kevin O’Leary, who have made great contributions to this country.

It doesn’t end there. The Lebanese community didn’t only come here in order to work and succeed commercially, academically and professionally, but they were ready to fight when it was time for that freedom that they cherish so much and that opportunity called Canada. Many Lebanese Canadians answered the call to service in World War I and World War II and proudly fought for their freedom, so much so giving up their lives for their country called Canada.

Lieutenant Edward F. Arab, the young lawyer who was so proud of his Lebanese heritage, heroically died for Canada on the front line in Belgium. Charlie Younes was also killed while bravely fighting in action. There were many more who served and were wounded and injured, like Samuel Ross. The list goes on and on.

We thank them for their contribution to our society. Of course, the vast majority of Lebanese immigrants came to Canada between the years of 1975 and 1990. They were fleeing civil war in Lebanon, which reiterates the point that most of us have come here fleeing something and looking for something better.

I think this is a very worthy bill. I don’t think it requires any more debate or discussion. I thank Senator Cordy for putting forward this very worthy bill, and I add my voice to it and full support. Colleagues, I urge you all to support it through second reading and send it on to committee. Thank you.