- Member of Parliament
- Member of Parliament
- Liberal
- Halifax West
- Nova Scotia
- Voting Attendance: 68%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $116,563.05
- Government Page
- Nov/22/23 2:17:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today marks a historic occasion as we proudly raise the Lebanese flag on Parliament Hill for the first time, marking the inaugural Lebanese Heritage Month in Canada.
[Member spoke in Arabic]
[English]
This momentous event holds even greater significance, as it coincides with Lebanon's 80th Independence Day.
Every November, we encourage all Canadians to join us in celebrating Lebanese culture and traditions.
My special thanks go to my mother, children, grandchildren, brother, sisters and all family and friends who travelled here to share in this celebration, as well as to His Excellency Ambassador Fadi Ziadeh for the tremendous partnership he has shown leading up to today.
[Member spoke in Arabic]
Long live Canada and long live Lebanon.
[Member spoke in Arabic]
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- Oct/27/23 11:04:02 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, November 1 marks the beginning of our first national Lebanese Heritage Month in Canada.
I am proud to mark this special occasion alongside my friends, my constituents and all Canadians.
I encourage my colleagues to take this weekend to connect with their local Lebanese community.
I encourage people to find events near them and carve out some time to attend.
In my corner of the country, our community is organizing so much: tonight's Keskun wine tasting, an independence day flag raising, the annual Lebanese Film Festival, the Watani Lubnan party and more.
Our local Lebanese organizations, the consulates and the embassy are all working hard to make this inaugural year memorable. I want to thank them, as well as my own church, where today our congregation is coming together in prayer for peace in the Middle East.
We Lebanese-Canadians are proud of our heritage.
Happy Lebanese Heritage Month.
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- Jun/14/23 12:18:49 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is very emotional. To be frank, what I will say is this: I think I speak for all the Lebanese in this country but also for those in Lebanon. This is like being nominated for the biggest Oscar possible, and going and receiving that trophy or award. I just feel like I want to stand here, thank my God, my family, community and everybody. Honestly, I want to thank everyone from the House and the Senate for shepherding this through.
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- Jun/14/23 12:17:49 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleague and across all party lines to ensure that all people of Lebanese heritage in this country see themselves not only in this Parliament but also in all fields in all the life of this country.
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moved that Bill S-246, An Act respecting Lebanese Heritage Month, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
She said: Mr. Speaker, it is always a privilege to speak on behalf of the people of Halifax West.
Today, as a proud Lebanese Canadian, I am honoured to speak on Bill S-246, which would designate the month of November as Lebanese heritage month across Canada.
First I want to thank Senator Jane Cordy for shepherding this bill in the Senate chamber. The bill had its origins with my private member's bill, Bill C-268, last year.
It was a special honour to testify at the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology when the bill was being considered at that place, not only because I represent many Lebanese Nova Scotians in Halifax West but also because I have worked throughout my life to share, celebrate and preserve Lebanese culture, language and traditions in Canada.
I speak to this bill as the daughter of first-generation Lebanese immigrants to Canada from the tiny village of Diman. I also spent years of my childhood growing up surrounded by grandparents and elders of the village before fleeing war and reuniting with extended family and community back in Nova Scotia.
I joined, at the age of 15, Diman Association Canada, a group that was founded in 1973 by second-generation teenagers whose parents emigrated from the village of Diman. This group continues to flourish and celebrates its 50-year anniversary September 30.
I also joined the Canadian Lebanon Society of Halifax and was elected for the first time in 1993, over 30 years ago, as the first female president, serving six terms. The last was in 2013, when I entered politics. This organization, founded in 1938 and headed by Lieutenant Edward Francis Arab as its first president, is one of the oldest such organizations in North America.
It was founded by first-generation Lebanese immigrants who wanted to stay connected to their heritage, their culture and their mother tongue.
We mark its 85th anniversary this November.
I am also a former parish council member at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church. In Halifax, there are two Lebanese churches, Our Lady of Lebanon and Saint Antonios Orthodox Church, and each year each church hosts a summer Lebanese festival, one in June and the other in July, for all to enjoy.
A week ago, Our Lady of Lebanon hosted the Lebanese Cedar Festival with food, music, dance performances and so much more. It was a proud moment for me to see my children volunteering at the festival and my grandchildren doing the Lebanese dabke.
It was a welcome source of fun and community building and a chance to show our love and provide support to feed Nova Scotia and others in the community.
Through my involvement in all these groups, I have met people and groups across the country.
I know how significant this recognition would be, as the provincial recognition was significant when we proclaimed it in Nova Scotia in 2018.
When our Senate colleagues spoke to Bill S-246, they shared the stories of Lebanese Canadians from across the country, such as the Lebanese peddlers and fur traders who arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s in P.E.I., Victoria and Edmonton.
There is business owner Annie Midlige, the first Lebanese immigrant in Ottawa.
There is George Shebib, who introduced the card game tarabish to Cape Bretoners in 1901.
There is William Haddad, a shopkeeper's son who became one of the first Arab judges in Canada.
There is Nazem Kadri, the Stanley Cup champion, and those who gave their lives for Canada, such as Charlie Younes and Lieutenant Edward Francis Arab, after whom we have named a street in the Westmount subdivision of Halifax.
There are also high-performance athletes like John Hanna, John Makdessi and Fabian Joseph from Nova Scotia.
There are artists as varied as singer Paul Anka, Drake collaborator Noah “40” Shebib, documentarian Amber Fares, Order of Ontario recipient Sandra Shamas, visual artist Jay Isaac and Order of Canada recipient Consul Wadih M. Fares, just to name a few.
There are academics and rights advocates.
There are civic leaders from all levels of government and political parties, including former senators and former members of Parliament, as well as my two federal colleagues from Laval—Les Îles and Edmonton—Manning and my former provincial colleagues Patricia Arab and Zach Churchill. There are, of course, Canada's first premier of non-European descent, Premier Joe Ghiz, and later his son Robert Ghiz, and so many more.
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Mr. Speaker, last week I was supposed to lead off in the debate on Bill S-246, which seeks to designate November as Lebanese heritage month in Canada. Unfortunately, that did not happen.
I would like to point out the importance of this bill for Quebec in particular, because I am giving my speech today in French. According to Statistics Canada, Quebec's Lebanese community accounts for more than a third of all Lebanese Canadians. They chose Quebec because of the close relationship between the Lebanese people, the French language and the global Francophonie. Lebanon is a prime source of new immigrants, which is important because we need to offset the labour shortage and strengthen the vitality of francophone communities. Also, the first edition of the Lebanese Film Festival in Canada took place in Montreal, which is also home to the Saint-Maron eparchial seat.
I am eager to continue working with all of my colleagues so that we can all celebrate Lebanese heritage month in November.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill S-246, An Act respecting Lebanese heritage month.
She said: Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour for me today to officially sponsor Bill S-246 on behalf of the people of Halifax West, all Lebanese Canadians and all Lebanese. It has been an immense privilege to work closely with Senator Jane Cordy on this piece of legislation, which complements the Lebanese heritage month bill I brought before the House last April.
This bill is dedicated to those brave women and men who came to this land of opportunities, looking not only to provide for themselves and loved ones, but also to give back to their chosen country, Canada, just like my mom and dad. It celebrates and spotlights our many distinct Lebanese communities across Canada and gives them a new platform to share their histories, culture, language and food traditions with our entire Canadian family. It is a meaningful step that shows those in the motherland that they are never far from our thoughts.
My thanks go to Senator Cordy, members of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and all senators who supported the bill unanimously. I look forward to hearing from colleagues in the House and to passage of this bill unanimously and without delay.
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- Dec/14/22 2:03:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to return to our ridings and families, I rise to give thanks today to my children, all of my extended family, my staff Anthony, Conor, Chris and Sam, all of my interns, and all who have worked to support me and the residents of Halifax West.
I would also like to thank all those who help us on the Hill: the Private Members' Business Office, our committee clerks and all of the analysts and interpreters.
I also offer thanks to the offices of our whips, House leaders and pages.
To all my fellow MPs and my Senate colleagues from all parties, I want to say the following.
I look forward to working together in 2023, and especially as Bill S-246 passes and proceeds to this place. It is a perfect complement to my own Bill C-268 respecting Lebanese heritage month.
I wish everyone the blessings of the season. Let us spread kindness, compassion and love.
I wish my colleagues a joyeux Noël and happy new year.
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- Nov/23/22 2:06:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening, full of pride for my homeland and the country I love, we gathered to mark the 79th anniversary of Lebanon's independence.
I want to sincerely thank all parliamentarians, senators, members of the diplomatic corps and everyone who came yesterday.
Lebanese people have contributed to the Canadian mosaic since the 1880s. I have heard from Canadians from across the country about their deep connections to the Lebanese communities in their regions since I introduced my private member's bill to designate November as Lebanese heritage month. In a few hours, I will appear before the social affairs committee in the other place and speak about the value of such a designation.
The special relationship between our nations is rooted in our shared democratic values, and Canada has always stepped up to help Lebanon in its time of need. In the face of hardship, now is such a time.
As I said yesterday, our faith is very strong that the sun will shine again, and our paradise Lebanon will be more beautiful than ever.
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Mr. Speaker, in Nova Scotia and in Ontario, November is officially recognized as Lebanese Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the generations of cultural, economic and civic contributions of Lebanese Canadians.
November holds great significance for Lebanese people all over the world as independence day, Eid Al-Istiqlal, is celebrated on the 22nd.
In my own province, the Lebanese presence dates back to the 1800s.
In 2018, I was part of the provincial government that proclaimed November as Lebanese Heritage Month.
Again, this year, celebrations will be held from Yarmouth to Halifax to Sydney. I am proud to have introduced Bill C-268 to recognize Lebanese Heritage Month nationally and honour, share and celebrate our culture.
I am equally proud to work with Senator Jane Cordy on Bill S-246 to do the same. I encourage all members to mark Lebanese Heritage Month in their communities, join our parliamentary friendship group and support these important bills.
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, seconded by the member for Edmonton Manning, moved for leave to introduce Bill C-268, An Act to designate the month of November as Lebanese Heritage Month.
She said: Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House of Commons to introduce my private member's bill on behalf of Lebanese Canadians, and all Canadians, in recognition of the value and contribution the Lebanese have made to Canada's social, economic, cultural and political development.
For generations and throughout the country, Lebanese immigrants and their descendants have worked hard and given back, all while honouring their language and their culture.
I introduce this bill in memory of my father Steven Wadih Metlege, who passed away in 2018. He came to this country in his twenties with no assurances, just the desire to work hard and do right by his family. His story mirrors that of so many Lebanese Canadians. Passing this bill would be a part of his legacy and that of all Lebanese-Canadian trailblazers, past and present.
I will quote Khalil Gibran, who wrote, “Deep is your longing for the land of your memories and the dwelling place of your greater desires; and our love would not bind you nor our needs hold you.” This speaks to the Lebanese experience, the love of the homeland and an embrace of our chosen country.
[Member spoke in Arabic and provided the following translation:]
Lebanon will remain in our hearts and will last.
[English]
Let us all join in supporting the designation of November as Lebanese Heritage Month.
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- Mar/30/22 2:05:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to rise with overwhelming pride to share news of a significant and historic celebration. The Lebanese Maronite Catholics at Our Lady of Lebanon parish will officially launch the celebrations of the opening of our new church and Cedar Event Centre in Halifax West.
On the the last weekend of April, the community will gather for a solemn mass and dinner banquet alongside His Excellency Bishop Paul-Marwan Tabet. I want to acknowledge all those whose donations, generosity, time, effort and vision went into realizing this tremendous accomplishment.
Our church is the heart of our religious, social and cultural life.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed over many years.
[Member spoke in Arabic]
[Translation]
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