44th Parl. 1st Sess.

September 15, 2022 10:00AM

Sep/15/22 1:24:27 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, today I, too, have the sad privilege to rise and express my heartfelt sympathy, and the sympathy of my constituents, to our sovereign King Charles III and his family as they mourn their “beloved mama”, grandmother and great-grandmother, our late Queen Elizabeth II. Today, we are thinking about the 70 years of service given to Canada by our Queen, a head of state who played a key, albeit often discreet, role in the lives of Canadians. Most Canadians alive today have known no other head of state. Many governments and parliaments have come and gone, while she, the Queen, has remained. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, visited the Yukon for two days on their tour of Canada in 1959. To illustrate this memorable visit, I have shared an old Pathé clip on my social media pages, outlining the royal couple's tour through the so-called “romantic Yukon”. Of course, 64 years ago, Whitehorse, only recently named the territorial capital, was quite a different place. Streets were still unpaved and some houses still lacked indoor plumbing. The great era of Yukon sternwheelers had ended only a few years before, and with a thriving army base there remained a substantial military presence in the community. There are still Yukoners who proudly remember that visit, including that the power went out one night in Whitehorse, leaving the royal couple in the dark overnight. During their visit they toured the MacBride Museum and boarded a special royal train on the White Pass and Yukon railway for a short trip to the edge of the town. Pregnant with her third child and experiencing a teensy bit of morning sickness, Her Majesty elected to refrain from travelling further, while the Duke of Edinburgh flew to both Dawson and Mayo on a four-engine de Havilland Heron. The pilot was Prince Philip himself. As another reminder of the Yukon of that time, when Philip returned to the city he was able to taxi the plane right up to the door of the VIP House, then located on the escarpment side of the airport, although since then relocated downtown. When the royal party insisted on greeting Yukoners in an open car on their tour, officials had to look for willing drivers on the street to lend a car to the royals for the day. A suitable car was indeed found in a brand new Ford Fairlane convertible driven by Cassiar miner Vincenzo Caparelli. It was a very special visit. To revisit this occasion is to remind us of the relationship that the Yukon and many Yukoners enjoy with the Crown. Naturally, Canadians felt a wide range of emotions following our recent loss. For some, it was like losing a family member. Others chose to reflect on her role and her service and to express their condolences to the immediate family, stopping there. However, for those who are feeling and living with the consequences of colonial projects undertaken by the government in her name, this loss can bring up more painful thoughts. As a constitutional monarchy, Canadians are fortunate that this broad spectrum of emotions and arguments can be expressed publicly, sometimes simultaneously, and shared with others respectfully. There are few other countries beyond the Commonwealth of Nations where the head of state is able to rise above the political fray, providing continuity, compassionate engagement, and the longevity and foresight that elected governments, focused primarily on the next election, often overlook to their detriment. The Crown as an institution, now represented by King Charles III, will take on that role as someone removed from the changing winds of partisanship, as the elected chambers in Canada have been since his ancestor Queen Victoria first granted Canada responsible government almost 200 years ago. The Crown of Canada represented an important relationship between the state and its members. This relationship became particularly important in the context of the global climate crisis and Canada's continuing journey toward reconciliation with indigenous peoples. Many of the agreements, treaties and proclamations signed between the state and indigenous peoples of the past and modern era are between indigenous citizens and the Crown. We know that elected governments have not always honoured those agreements as they should have, and some have ignored them entirely, leading to devastating results and the legacy of trauma that repeatedly plays out in tragedy. The James Smith Cree Nation murders that we stood silent for in the House this morning are the most current and painful reminder of the harm done through Canada's colonial practices, presided over by our monarchy. However, healing can and will continue. In His Majesty's visit to Canada as Prince of Wales earlier this year, he met with survivors of residential schools and called on Canadians to listen to “the truth of the lived experiences” of indigenous peoples, saying, “We all have a responsibility to listen, understand and act in ways that foster relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.” As a British-born Canadian of Irish and Scottish descent, and with my own mother having grown up in India's Raj, I recognize the difficult symbolism held within the Crown in my own ancestral homelands. As a settler Canadian, I see the parallels in the colonial projects across centuries, but I also recognize how the Crown has evolved to recognize the harm done in its name, whether abroad or in Canada. Earlier this week, during his first visit to Northern Ireland, King Charles III met with leaders and politicians and spoke about the importance of reconciliation in a remarkable exchange of conciliatory gestures, a continuation of the goodwill demonstrated by the Queen in the final years of her reign. I am confident that on the occasion of King Charles's first visit to Canada, he will continue to express a will to listen and engage with indigenous peoples and all Canadians on the journey to reconciliation across the country. I finish today by saying that out of this period of mourning, hope and reconciliation will continue to build for a better tomorrow. What Canadian would not agree, and what better legacy could we want from our Queen? In offering our condolences for his bereavement and as we recall the compassion, poise and grace that his mother brought to her role for 70 years as our head of state, moving Canada from a young country constrained by old ideas to a mature nation on a path to inclusiveness and prosperity, we deliver our best wishes for our new King's reign. Long live King Charles III. Thank you, gunalchéesh, shäw níthän, mahsi cho.

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House Hansard - 96