Autistics Aloud: 1st Edition of Lifespans Magazine - Member's Statement

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to make an introduction.

THE SPEAKER « » : Permission granted.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Joining us in the gallery opposite today is a group of individuals representing an exceptional project coming out of Autism Nova Scotia called Autistics Aloud.

These include - and I'll ask you to stand as I read your name - magazine editor Patricia George-Zwicker; contributor Hugh Calvin Garber; David Patterson, Regional Coordinator at Autism Nova Scotia; and Brian Foster, the COO of Autism Nova Scotia.

I would also be remiss if I did not introduce my extended family, who are sitting with them: Hugh's parents, Allison and Jeff Garber; his sister Vera Garber; and my father-in-law Peter MacLellan, who will be known to people mostly on that side of the House.

I would ask you to join me in welcoming them with snaps. (Finger snaps)

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

AUTISTICS ALOUD: FIRST EDITION, LIFESPANS MAGAZINE - CONGRATS.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge one of Autism Nova Scotia's longest-running initiatives, Autistics Aloud, and to congratulate them on the recent release of Edition 1 in the new LifeSpans series. Autistics Aloud is a grassroots publication that will have been handed out to many members, which provides a platform for autistic Canadians to share the first-voice perspective on autism through stories, poems, photography, and art.

As the name LifeSpans implies, the contributors are children, teenagers, adults, and seniors who have shared their vision for a more inclusive community. The youngest contributor is my 10-year-old nephew and the oldest is the 50-year-old editor, which provides many different perspectives throughout the magazine.

Over the next three years, Autism Nova Scotia will publish nine more editions of LifeSpans that will explore themes such as mental health, sexuality, and housing through a uniquely autistic lens.

The copy of the magazine in front of you is yours to celebrate and share. I ask again that we celebrate these folks by snapping. (Finger snaps)

THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Fairview-Clayton Park.