Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): I would like to make a nonpolitical statement.

Madam Speaker: Does the honourable member for Radisson have leave to make a nonpolitical statement? [agreed]

Ms. Cerilli: Madam Speaker, Knowles Centre celebrated its 90th anniversary last night with a dinner at the Manitoba Masonic centre. There was a slide show highlighting the history of Knowles Centre from 1907 in a house on Broadway Avenue where Wilfred Knowles, a CPR clerk, took in a homeless Polish immigrant boy of nine years old, all the way to the current treatment centre with a school for troubled boys and girls, which has day programs as well as a residential care facility.

* (1050)

Then Stephen Lewis, of UNICEF, gave an inspiring address on the advances in children's rights internationally. Mr. Lewis entertained and informed the audience of more than 200 with advocacy on the importance of the convention on the rights of the child. He emphasized how important the work of Knowles has been over the 90 year to now, complying with, particularly, Article 30 of the convention of the rights of the child on minority and aboriginal children or indigenous children and their rights to their culture and traditions since aboriginal youth now make up the majority of clients served at Knowles Centre.

He described how the youth issues addressed at Knowles are some of the many being put on the policy agenda in countries all over the world with the help of the rights of the child declaration which has been ratified by 191 countries. He passionately described conferences and meetings all over the world where children themselves are sitting at the table face to face with politicians influencing government policy on many areas such as child labour, child prostitution and the rights of girl children to an equal education.

He emphasized that these are no longer needs, but rights. I would like to congratulate the 90th anniversary committee of Knowles Centre: David Davis, Rudy Ambtman, Eleanor Cameron, Marshall Gardner, Mark Minenko, Gerry Nytepchuk, Dianne Olivier and Debbie Smith, as well as all the staff, the volunteers and supporters of Knowles Centre in their role in advocating for children's rights as part of the 90-year legacy of Knowles Centre.