Honourable senators, yesterday was the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

This week, Team Canada, our Olympians and Paralympians, are here on Parliament Hill for the first time since coming back from Paris. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games marked the first time that our medallists received compensation for winning medals, as did our Olympians. This was a long time in the making, and I am so happy for them and so proud to say that here in Canada a medal is a medal, no matter what ability or functional limitation you may have.

Here are some figures from the Paris Games: The Canadian Paralympic team won a total of 29 medals, bringing home 10 gold, 9 silver and 10 bronze. Our 10 gold medals matched the number of gold medals we won in Beijing. Our 29 medals matched the number of medals we won in Rio, which cements our position as one of the Paralympic Games’ great nations.

Canadian swimming athletes deserve special mention for winning 13 of the 29 medals awarded in Paris.

The Paris 2024 Games were followed by Canadians like never before. Over 11 million Canadians tuned in to the CBC/Radio-Canada’s broadcast coverage, with total viewership across digital platforms up 153% from Tokyo 2020. Canadians watched an average of 1.2 million hours of coverage daily, showcasing an amazing growing national interest in para sport.

Dear colleagues, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is so much more than a day of recognition. It is also — and must be — a day of action.

While we salute the exploits of our Paralympic champions, as we approach the holidays, let’s also remember that there are still too many Canadians with disabilities living in poverty while not enough is being done. We must recognize the successes of persons with disabilities while continuing to fight for all and address this crucial issue together.

Thank you. Meegwetch.