Madam Speaker, I appreciate the time I get to speak on this bill today, Bill S-223, an act respecting kindness week in Canada.

I will begin by thanking the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, for tabling this bill in the House; Senator Jim Munson, for introducing the bill in the other place; Rabbi Reuvan Bulka, the founder of Kind Canada and the individual who approached Senator Munson with the idea, and therefore was the inspiration behind this bill; and all of the House leaders and members in this place for allowing this to pass at such a quick pace today, so that Canadians across the country may recognize the third week of February as kindness week every year in Canada.

I have seconded this bill, because I think a little bit of kindness can go a very long way. Kindness is a sincere and voluntary use of one's time, talent and resources to better the lives of others, one's own life and the world through genuine acts of love, compassion, generosity and service. We must remember that, while it is important to be kind to others, we must also be kind to ourselves. Only when we are kind to ourselves and think about ourselves in a positive and healthy way are we able to have the abundance needed to give to others.

When we return the love and joy that another is feeling, it has a huge impact on their sense of well-being.

Prior to fully entering politics, I was a high school teacher. I taught history, geography, French, and ethics and religious culture. I have to say that, of these, my favourite course to teach was the ethics class. That was because, as a teacher, I believed I played an important role in helping my students become happy, resilient, fulfilled human beings. I know there is a limited amount a teacher can do in this regard. However, I always knew that I wanted my classroom to be a safe place where students could feel comfortable being themselves and opening up about anything they were going through. In my classroom, students knew there was zero tolerance for bullying, and they knew kindness was expected of them above all else.

One of the units I covered when teaching this course was on random acts of kindness, where students learned the importance of being kind to one another; the difference a simple act of kindness can make in someone's day or, in some cases, in someone's life; and about what could be considered an act of kindness. At the end of the unit, their assignment was to do 10 random acts of kindness within a two-week period and to write about them, what their impact was on the people they were doing this act for, and how they felt in doing the act.

Members can probably imagine what those two weeks looked like in our school: groups of friends sitting with a student eating his lunch alone and being genuinely interested in getting to know him; leaving kind words on post-it notes on each other's lockers; or helping someone pay for something at the cafeteria. From what I read in their assignments, the kindness was spread beyond the school and into their homes, when they helped their parents with chores around the house or visited grandma for a little longer that week. The reflection on how this made others feel was important, because when we are kind to others, knowing we made a difference can feel so great.

I did this with my students, because I had a vision for a kinder world, a world where people choose kindness over being mean and insulting and a world where people are thoughtful and considerate and try to bring light and positivity into the lives of those they come into contact with. I believe that kindness is contagious.

Every child, parent and adult reaps the benefits of kindness, whether they are the giver or the receiver. Kindness makes everyone feel really good, which encourages them not to give up.

When we go out of our way to be kind or do something nice for someone, chances are they will want to pay it forward and do something nice in return. We have all been on the receiving end of a kind act. When it is not expected, it can surprise us and leave us feeling so appreciative. Sometimes that is not the case, because the person we are doing a kind act for may not be ready to receive the kindness, and that is okay. We cannot let those experiences get in the way of making an effort to be kind, because it is only by continuing and spreading kindness that we will change the world, one act at a time and one person at a time.

In the words of Rabbi Bulka, “Being kind is nothing more than being truly human. The kinder we are, the better all humanity will be.”

Some may wonder if designating a week to kindness really does anything and what the point of it is, especially since we already live in one of the kindest countries in the world. While that may be true, designating a week to kindness would bring attention to the act of being kind. It would allow us to reflect on our actions and motivate Canadians across the country to be kinder to one another. It would serve as a reminder for those of us who sometimes get caught up in the busyness of life and who may not be prioritizing kindness. It would give teachers the opportunity to teach their students about the importance of being kind to everyone.

As a former teacher, I can assure the House that designating a week to kindness motivates teachers, administrative staff and students immensely because it encourages enthusiasm for a culture of kindness in their school. This enthusiasm can lead to the creation of kindness clubs and the emergence of leaders among the students. It can also create an opportunity to discuss bullying with students in class.

This pandemic that we have been living with for more than a year now has left people feeling isolated and has taken away so many opportunities for us to connect with others. Now, more than ever, it is important to be kind to one another, and that can come in many forms. We can bring groceries to a senior who may still be afraid of leaving their home while public health measures are still in place; we can reach out to someone we have not spoken to in a while, let them know we are thinking of them and that we are willing to listen if they need to talk; we can send someone a nice card of appreciation for the work they are doing to keep people safe; or we can educate our children. A little kindness goes a very long way.

On this note, I would like to once again thank Rabbi Bulka for all of the important work that he has spent his life doing, Senator Munson for bringing this forward in the other place and the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes for bringing it forward here.

Emmanuella Lambropoulos

$423,697.00