Hon. Donald Neil Plett: Honourable senators, last May I rose in this chamber to bring you the story of an outstanding junior women’s curling team who went on to become gold medal winners in the Under-18 Canadian Girls Curling Championships. Now I know you’ve been waiting anxiously for an update on the team’s success this year, and I’m happy to be able to bring you that today.

This year, Team Plett consists of my granddaughter Myla Plett as skip, Alyssa Nedohin as third, Chloe Fediuk as second and Allie Iskiw as lead. Together with their coaches, Blair Lenton and David Nedohin, they have had a very busy winter.

From November 25 to 27, Team Plett competed in the Canada Winter Games Trials. They went 4-2, playing the other three teams twice, and then went on to the final to emerge victorious with a score of 8-2. This means that Team Plett will be representing Alberta at the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island from February 18 to March 5.

Right after Christmas, Myla’s team headed to the Under-18 provincials, which were held January 4 to 8 in Cochrane, Alberta. The team went 6-1 during a round robin, giving them first place, which meant they had a bye straight to the final. They won the final 4-3, making them the Under-18 Alberta provincial champions for the second straight year.

Team Plett is in Timmins, Ontario, this week, representing Alberta and defending their title at the 2023 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships. They are 2-0 so far.

Two weeks after winning the Under-18 provincial championships, the team was on the road to Ellerslie, Alberta, for the Under-20 provincials, which were held January 25 to 29. There, they had a record of 5-2 and advanced to the semifinals, which they won by a score of 7-3. In the final, they faced their long-time nemesis Team Booth and came out victorious with an 8-6 victory, becoming the Under-20 Alberta provincial champions. Team Plett is now headed to Quebec on March 25 for the 2023 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships.

Colleagues, as you can imagine, I am a very proud grandpa. But I am not only proud of my granddaughter Myla and her team. I’m also extremely proud of all the athletes in Canada who work very hard at their sport, often without securing those coveted spots on the podium.

I salute their discipline, determination, dedication and good sportsmanship. I invite you to join me in congratulating not only my favourite curling team, but all of our athletes who make us proud as they pursue their dreams.

Thank you.

Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Honourable senators, I am pleased to rise today to share with you the stories of five recipients of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. As a senator from New Brunswick, I had the honour and privilege of awarding medals to five deserving people in my region in recognition of their contribution to their community and in commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the throne.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the New Brunswick Office of Protocol for giving us the opportunity to recognize our community builders. In total, 3,000 medals were awarded in the province.

Let me begin by saying that four of the five recipients of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal are veterans of the Second World War. All four were chosen by their respective legions to recognize not only their role and sacrifice in the Second World War, but also the contribution they made to their community when they returned home from the war.

In alphabetical order, they are Léonard Boucher from Bouctouche, a member of the Richibucto Legion; Edmond Daigle from Richibucto, the oldest member of the Richibucto Legion; Paul Maillet, from Coal Branch, who has provided a great deal of support to the region of Hartcourt and helped with many community activities; and Léonard Pitre, age 97, formerly of Rogersville and current resident of Miramichi, who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 12 years.

The fifth recipient, Jonathan Richard, has been a teacher at École Mgr-Marcel-François-Richard for the past three years. He shares his passion and enthusiasm for Acadian history and culture with his students through community projects, such as cleaning headstones, creating a work of art in memory of soldiers who died on the battlefield, organizing an appreciation day for former school principles and more. Through projects like these, the students are learning about teamwork, communication, leadership and, of course, Acadian culture.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for New Brunswick to honour Her Majesty’s service to Canada, as well as that of residents of New Brunswick who, like Her Majesty, have been exemplary in their service to others. I had the privilege of paying tribute to Mr. Boucher, Mr. Daigle, Mr. Maillet, Mr. Pitre and Mr. Richard for their services to their community and thanking them for everything they have done and continue to do.

Honourable senators, join me in congratulating them on receiving the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal and thanking them for everything they have done for the Kent region and their communities. Thank you.

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