44th Parl. 1st Sess.

September 15, 2022 10:00AM

Mr. Eric Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, CPC)

Sep/15/22 5:30:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it was a beautiful summer day along the St. Lawrence River on June 26, 1959. In the city of Cornwall, we are accustomed to having guests and dignitaries visit the city every so often, but on that day, at the Moses-Saunders Dam in the city of Cornwall, there were several important visitors. The United States president, Dwight Eisenhower, and then vice-president Richard Nixon were joined by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to open the seaway. The next day they travelled from Cornwall to Long Sault, Ingleside, Morrisburg and then Iroquois. Despite that being decades ago, there are still fond memories for many citizens who got to experience those wonderful days. That visit to Canada and to my community of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry came seven years into a seven-decade tenure and reign as our head of state. I want to start today with that story of remembrance and with my condolences on behalf of the people and residents of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry on the passing of a wonderful head of state, our Queen. In the emotions, it has been a bit of a unique feeling over the course of the last week as we have come to grips with a unique time in our history, a transition that few of us have ever seen and may not see again in our lifetimes. There is a sadness, without a doubt, an empty feeling, but there is also an opportunity to reflect and think on the life and service of the Queen. What more could we ask for? At 96 years of age, she had given 70 years of service as Queen and met her 15th prime minister only two days before passing. She was working and serving until her final days. To think of the history and scope of it, it is fascinating that her first prime minister was Winston Churchill, and she wrapped up 70 years just last week with Liz Truss. In Canada, there were 12 prime ministers, from Louis St. Laurent to our Prime Minister today, the member for Papineau. In our Commonwealth, she had the opportunity to serve and work with 179 prime ministers over her lifetime. It will be a long time before we see a head of state match that feat. There is a sadness, but there is also a sense of gratitude and thanks. There is the opportunity to mourn, but there is also the time, as we have heard several times in the chamber today, from our Prime Minister, several members of cabinet and those who have had the opportunity to meet her, to share stories about the Queen. We could take a walk down memory lane. I want to thank Susan Peters from the Dundas County Archives in the western part of my riding, as well as Ian Bowering, who is a retired curator at the Cornwall Community Museum, who documented a couple of other visits and stories between our riding in eastern Ontario, our community, and the Queen. In 1976, she had a wonderful visit to Upper Canada Village, which today still attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the site nearby, in Morrisburg, Ontario. She visited our area again, the city of Cornwall, in 1984, on a whistle stop tour through eastern Ontario, visiting the Cornwall Civic Complex and Trinity Church and then departing from the train station again. We were blessed to experience first-hand her class, her energy and the enthusiasm she had for our country and our Commonwealth. Those stories go both ways. We remember the visits, which I have been able to recall here in the chamber today, but also I say it goes the other way around. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hosted some residents of my community in the United Kingdom from time to time. One that I want to highlight today is retired member of provincial Parliament Jim Brownell, who also served for a period of time as honorary colonel for the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. He had the honour, in June 2018, of having an audience with Her Majesty in that capacity, as the regiment was celebrating its 150th anniversary at that time. The Queen was the colonel-in-chief and Jim remembers that being an absolute honour. I think of his Facebook posts. I was going back, thinking of the memories, and I remember Jim posting this: “A great way to celebrate the 150th anniversary of a proud and historic regiment...Will definitely be thinking of the residents and family back home, and those no longer with us. Especially thinking of my parents, today. They would, indeed, be proud.” That recollection is important because the Queen's service passed over many generations. Young and old alike developed a respect and appreciation for her duty, for her service and for a word that has been used, rightly, many times in this chamber and over the course of the past few days: We thank her for the stability that she provided for our country and our Commonwealth. That is something that we take for granted. Despite upheavals and challenges around the world, and challenges in our own country, which we face even to this day in various forms, there has been a continuity of democracy and a continuity of stability that she has provided for our country. For that we are grateful. From the people of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, we say to the royal family that our condolences are with them and our thanks are with them for the visits, for the memories and for all that the Queen did for the betterment not just of the Commonwealth and of Canada but for the world. To King Charles III, the Queen Consort and the royal family, the King knows he has big shoes to fill and he knows that there are millions of Canadians in this country wishing him well. With all the tradition and protocol and pomp and circumstance that happen with a state funeral on the magnitude of what we are witnessing and will be witnessing in the coming days, it is important to note for the King and the royal family that we are losing a Queen and we are losing a head of state, but they are losing a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother as well. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We say today, rest well to the Queen, God save the King, and God bless Canada. I appreciate the opportunity to pass our condolences and share some wonderful memories of her 70 years of wonderful service.

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