Newfoundland and Labrador  Mr. Speaker, this past Monday marked the 70th anniversary since my province of Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation. Since 1949, our province has made an invaluable contribution to the social and cultural fabric of our nation. We have seen some unprecedented economic growth and development.

International Day of La Francophonie  Mr. Speaker, today is International Day of La Francophonie, a day when all Canadians gather to celebrate francophone cultures. It is the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, which continues to illustrate the importance of Canada's linguistic duality. Let us continue to welcome francophone tourists in their official language during their visit.

Winter Tourism  Mr. Speaker, the evidence is quite clear. Mother Nature or Old Man Winter, whomever people believe in, has been in my riding of Long Range Mountains plenty this winter, and it has been wonderful for all the winter carnivals. There has been sliding, skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing, just to name a few of the snow sports, plus plenty of community events, great food and entertainment for all ages to participate in and enjoy.

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, we know that working collaboratively to renew the relationship based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership is key to achieving reconciliation and moving forward on self-determination for our indigenous people in Canada. The assertion of jurisdiction over education is just one step towards self-determination, and it is vital for communities to be able to teach their children in a way that underscores the importance of their culture and their language.

Fur Industry  Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of the House to an industry that contributes over a billion dollars to our economy and employs 60,000 Canadians in non-traditional manufacturing. The jobs are in rural, coastal and indigenous communities and there is an impressive 20% growth in the last five years.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to present a petition from my wonderful constituents in the riding of Long Range Mountains who state that animal testing is unnecessary to prove the safety of cosmetic products, and safety tests would be faster, more accurate and cheaper than to perform tests conducted using animals.

Tourism Industry  Mr. Speaker, the tourism industry is an important economic driver for all our communities from coast to coast to coast, especially in my beautiful rural riding of the Long Range Mountains. In Newfoundland and Labrador alone, tourism provides close to 30,000 good jobs for middle-class Canadians.

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, indigenous women and girls face unique challenges in their day-to-day life. Their rate of poverty is three times that of the general population. Women's groups across the country are working hard to remove barriers so all women and girls can fully reach their potential.

Long Range Mountains  Mr. Speaker, Australia, China, Austria and the U.S. are just a few of the countries that tourists come from to visit my beautiful riding of the Long Range Mountains, with over 250,000 folks visiting last year. This growing industry employs more than 5,000 people in close to 600 of my riding's tourism businesses.

Fur Trade  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize one of Canada's oldest and most historically significant industries: the fur trade. From Jacques Cartier to Samuel de Champlain, the first nations and the Hudson's Bay Company, the fur trade was and continues to be crucial to our resource-based economy.

Endangered Whales  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from New Brunswick Southwest for allowing me to share her time and speak to this important motion. I would like to acknowledge my colleague from Nanaimo—Ladysmith for her comments on the whales in her part of the country. As members know, I am from the other part of this magnificent country.

Tourism Industry  Mr. Speaker, this week is Tourism Week in Canada. It is a chance to highlight the incredible work and phenomenal success of our tourism industry. From coast to coast to coast, our industry is world class. It has created over 26,000 jobs just since 2015. Culinary tourism in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador is some of the best in the country, as we have seen from chef Ross Larkin's recent win on Top Chef Canada.

Canadian Communications Systems Alliance  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the members of the Canadian Communications Systems Alliance, or the CCSA, who were in Ottawa last week speaking about important issues related to telecommunications in Canada. The CCSA represents more than 110 independent companies that provide Internet, TV, telephone, and cell services across Canada.

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, as a former small business owner and operator, I know how important women entrepreneurs are, not only to the economy in my riding of the Long Range Mountains, but to my province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and to our entire country. I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Minister of Small Business and Tourism what steps our government is taking to help encourage more women to be their own bosses and become successful entrepreneurs.

Forestry Industry  Mr. Speaker, Canada's forest sector provides good jobs for families in communities all across the country. Constituents in my riding of Long Range Mountains are extremely concerned by the unjustified anti-dumping duties announced by the U.S. against Canadian forest workers. This government is defending the interests of softwood lumber workers by providing nearly a billion dollars to support workers, communities, and companies.