Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the chamber on behalf of the people of Cambridge and North Dumfries, and to respond to the Speech from the Throne. As the first woman ever elected to represent this riding in Ottawa since Confederation, I carry that responsibility with deep gratitude and with a commitment to serve with heart and purpose. It is the community where I was born and raised, where I have raised my family and where I have spent my life giving back, whether by focusing on youth and seniors, supporting veterans or standing up for those who have no voice, including the victims of human trafficking.

Through the years, I have seen our community grow, from the vibrant neighbourhoods of Galt, Preston and Blair, where the Grand River and the Speed River meet, connected by bridges, to the rural areas of North Dumfries: Ayr, Clyde and Branchton. It is a place of history. It is a place of natural beauty with a shared sense of community. It is a place where neighbours support each other and where small businesses want to put down roots and grow.

Over the course of the campaign, we knocked on over 80,000 doors across Cambridge and North Dumfries. We listened on front porches, in driveways and at kitchen tables. People opened up and shared their stories, their struggles and their hopes for a better future. Along the way, I met people who have become friends, like Bonnie, whose kindness radiates in everything she does. She bakes pies and butter tarts for our local meal programs and crochets squares for blankets that help veterans settle into their new home.

I remember meeting Susan, a senior living on a fixed income. She told me how, after paying her bills, there is often not enough left to buy the groceries she needs. It made me think of my own grandmother. Our family has an old photo of her standing in front of her fridge. The door was wide open, the shelves were full, and she had a huge smile on her face. For her, that fridge was not just about food; after she immigrated to Canada from a war-torn Eastern Europe, it was a symbol of safety, of having enough and of making sure no one in her family ever went hungry again.

I also spoke with many young people, some just starting out in their careers and others finishing school, who told me they cannot see a future for themselves here. They want to stay close to family and contribute to the community they grew up in, but they cannot find jobs that pay enough to sustain them.

One young man, an engineer, told me he is considering leaving Canada altogether, looking for opportunities abroad, because he no longer sees a future for himself in the country he calls home. He wants to build a life here, but with the rising cost of living and limited opportunities, he is starting to feel as if his dream is out of reach. Despite working hard, he cannot see a path to owning a home or starting a family. He is not alone. I have spoken with many young people in our community who feel the same. They are doing everything right, yet still feel like they are falling behind.

My dad, at the age of 19, came to Canada for freedom and opportunity. The day after he arrived, he started a job as an electrician in the village of Ayr, where he was able to build that life, buy that home, and start a family. These are the very things so many young people today feel are no longer possible: that promise of a country where hard work is rewarded, rights are protected and each generation builds something better for the next. That is the promise I will help restore. That is the promise I will protect.

In many conversations, I also heard a growing sense of worry. I grew up in a neighbourhood where we could leave our door unlocked. We would head downtown to Queen's Square, sit by the fountain and enjoy an ice cream on a warm summer afternoon. It was a time when people did not think twice about their safety. Today, that sense of safety is slipping away.

Time and again, I heard people tell me they no longer feel secure, even with their doors locked. They worry about break-ins, thefts and the rise of violent crime on our streets. I spoke to parents who will not let their kids walk to the park alone anymore, to seniors who do not feel safe answering their door at night and to shop owners who have been targeted more than once.

This is not just about statistics or headlines. It is about real people in real neighbourhoods feeling unsafe in the place they call home. It is about the loss of something we all deserve: peace of mind and the freedom to walk down the street or sit by the fountain and enjoy an ice cream without fear.

There is a growing disconnect between the people and their government. At a time when many have lost faith in our institutions, the government must be reminded that it exists to serve the people, to be accountable, to be responsible and to have a plan.

At constituents' doors, I also heard a sense of hope that we can restore what has been lost, rebuild what has been broken and renew the promise of Canada. That same hope, hard work and resilience carried me through many of life's challenges and will guide me every day in the House. Those experiences did not lead me to politics; they led me to people, and people led me here.

I came to Ottawa to serve, to listen and to be a strong voice for the people of Cambridge and North Dumfries. I came here to support solutions that will build a Canada that works for everyone, a country where freedom is defended, opportunity is within reach and hope is restored. I want to help build a Canada where the promise of a better life is not just a dream but a promise every Canadian can believe in once again.

This country has given my family everything, and now I intend to give back with everything I have. I will serve with honesty; I will lead with integrity, and I will never forget who sent me here. I want to take a moment to say thanks from the bottom of my heart.

I thank my husband, Bill, whose love and support have been my constant through every challenge and every victory, for standing by me, for believing in me, even on the days when I doubted myself, and for reminding me why this work matters. I thank my two incredible daughters, who have been my inspiration from the very beginning. Watching them grow into strong, compassionate women has been the greatest gift of my life. I thank my five beautiful granddaughters; each of them is a bright light in my world. They are the reason I stand here today, fighting for a future where their dreams can take root and flourish right here at home. I thank my brother, who stood with me from the beginning, for his support and all his help. I thank my mom for her selfless love and the sacrifices only a mother makes. Everything I am began with her.

I thank the many volunteers, neighbours and friends who gave their time, energy and hearts to this campaign. This journey was not mine alone; it belonged to all of us. Every door we knocked on, every conversation we had and every moment we shared mattered, and they shaped the person I am now.

Finally, I thank the people of Cambridge and North Dumfries for sharing their stories and for welcoming me into their homes and lives. Every day in this chamber, I carry their struggles and hopes with me, humbled by the trust they have placed in me and fighting to make sure that every person can open their fridge with a smile, just as my grandmother once did.

Connie Cody

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Speech from the Throne

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