Like all Canadians, I extend my best hopes and most thoughtful prayers for my American Cousins who are suffering so much in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The degree of tragedy and loss is difficult to grasp and yet is so real to those whose lives have been so marked. As a great nation you will rise to this challange and rebuild with great skill, great determination and great compassion for your fellow Americans. You will have help as you have helped so many others in their times of need. Americans endure and persevere. With lives lost and lives uprooted, this sorrow is much. Peace