Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): May I have leave to make a nonpolitical statement?

Mr. Deputy Speaker: Does the honourable member for Inkster have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mr. Lamoureux: Mr. Deputy Speaker, I wanted at this point to acknowledge that high school students across Manitoba played a major role in the battle against the rising waters of the Red River. However, I wish to bring to the special attention of the House the efforts of the students of Sisler High School. Their enthusiasm and hard work in the fight against the flooding of the Red River has been nothing less than exceptional. The eager willingness of Sisler High students to serve in their community was exemplary of the can-do attitude displayed by all students in Manitoba during the flood crisis. The students of Sisler High School went above and beyond the call of duty in helping their fellow citizens, and, on that note, I congratulate all staff and students of Sisler on a job well done.

(Mr. Gerry McAlpine, Acting Speaker, in the Chair)

Mr. Jack Penner (Emerson): Mr. Acting Speaker, would I have leave to be able to make a nonpolitical statement?

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McAlpine): Does the honourable member for Emerson have leave for a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Mr. Penner: I too would like to rise today to express my deepest gratitude to all those Manitobans who have opened their hearts to residents of my constituency, residents of the Red River Valley and indeed residents of other parts of the province who have faced probably one of the largest disasters that we have encountered in this century and maybe during the entire past of this province.

I want to express also my gratitude to some of the people that I saw, first of all, on the dike line in an effort to stem some of the damages that we have heard discussed here as of late in this Chamber. I saw a young mother with an eight-month-old baby on her back for two weeks straight carry sandbags to help alleviate damages to her neighbour's property, and I saw an 80-year-old man work eight hours straight handling sandbags who ended up in a hospital after that, Mr. Schmidt from Bergthal, because he became sick and he gave of himself to help his neighbours. That kind of dedication is seldom ever seen in this province and is unprecedented. We, in the Red River Valley, those of us who were part of the flood and the disaster, truly extend our appreciation not only to those two people but to the high school kids, to all the service organizations, to the tremendous volunteer effort, to the fire brigades, the municipal councils, to the Chambers of Commerce, the business people that gave of their equipment and, indeed, many of them that supplied food for two weeks straight, a grocery store in my hometown, Penner Foods, and they gave it freely, and to the armed services and to the RCMP and to our Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and Highways and all the other departments, Government Services, and the employees of our government. To them I take my hat off because they served unfailingly and some of them 24 hours a day when the need was there. That, in my view, Mr. Acting Speaker, and all members of this House, was true dedication of employees of this government and indeed our armed forces.

Many of our armed forces members put their own lives at risk to help others. Many of our municipal people who are volunteers put their own lives at risk to help others. That kind of effort I have seldom ever witnessed. I, as a member of this Legislature, invite all members and colleagues in this House to take off our hats and pay tribute to that kind of volunteerism and effort that was extended during this last two- or three-week period. Thank you very much.

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