Honourable senators, I rise today to tell you about a recent experience I had at a school in Ancaster, Ontario. A few months ago, I received a letter from Joseph, a Grade 5 student at Immaculate Conception School. Joseph said that his class was learning about the Senate in social studies class and he wanted to know more about what we do. I wrote a letter back to Joseph, and my colleagues in my office arranged for me to visit the class when I was in the area a few weeks later.

While I was at the school, I also got the chance to meet a group of students in Grades 4 to 6 who call themselves Canada’s Kids. They are students who are interested in learning more about our country. The group started in October of 2016 and had 67 students in that first year, which, as a student pointed out, was fitting since Confederation was in 1867. Over the four years it has been going on, there have been 185 students involved as members.

The students take every opportunity to learn about Canada and to spread the knowledge within their school community. Once a month, the group shares a morning announcement with facts about Canada. They have met with their local member of Parliament, performed songs about Canada at school events and they have even made a time capsule that they plan to open in 2043.

In addition to their learning and teaching, Canada’s Kids undertakes various fundraising initiatives. One year, they made and sold magnets to raise money for a local veterans’ association. Between their sales and a penny drive, they presented a veteran with a cheque for $850 at the end of the year.

This year, the students made bag tags with red and white braided yarn and beads. They can be used for luggage, as zipper toggles or even as bookmarks. The proceeds will be used to help a class from a local school who wouldn’t otherwise be able to go on a class trip, and they will be visiting a museum in the Ancaster area. Following my visit, I sent one of these tags to each of my fellow Ontario senators.

Just last week, for Valentine’s Day, the students participated in the Valentines for Vets program, and they also sent cards to local nursing homes.

On behalf of all senators, I want to say thank you to Canada’s Kids for their great work. I chose to highlight them today as one example of the many amazing groups of students across Canada whom many of us get the chance to engage with and who want to make ours a better country for us to live in. Thank you.