Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to call attention to a national event that will take place in Edmonton, Alberta, this fall from September 28th to the 30th. It's called the National Indigenous Cultural Expo, or NICE for short.

Mr. Speaker, the event is a spin-off from last year's National Gathering of Elders. About 5,000 people attended this as elders discussed reconciliation, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, climate change, and then many other topics important to Indigenous people. A special aspect of the gathering is that they've included First Nations, Metis, and Inuit elders.

This year's gathering is not so heavy. It's more a celebration of the culture and arts, with a national fashion show, a pow-wow, fiddling, jigging, throat singing, Arctic sports, hand games, and drum competitions. There will also be a national dialogue on child and family aspects between First Nation, Metis, and Inuit participants, a youth and elder's forum, as well as a trade show. Organizers are anticipating attendance of about 10,000 people. They are planning "the biggest and most dynamic cultural expo that Canada has ever seen."

Mr. Speaker, many national elders will be invited, from the National Inuit leader, the National Metis leader, and also the event chief, as well as the Prime Minister. Mr. Speaker, the cost of such a gathering is substantial and the budget for the event is about $1.7 million. Fundraising is expected to supply about 40 per cent of the amount, with the rest coming from sponsors.

Mr. Speaker, the event is being planned by a committee of the representatives from Treaty 6, 7, and 9 First Nations, as well as Metis and Inuit of Canada. Mr. Speaker, gatherings like this signal that reconciliation is happening in Canada despite the extremely disheartening events that justifiably become big news. In my grandparents' time, an event like the National Indigenous Cultural Expo would simply be a dream. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.