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House Hansard - 96

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 15, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 96 - Sep/15/22
Mr. Terry Duguid (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.)
  • Sep/15/22 11:15:03 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, like other members of the House, I hold in my heart today those families in Saskatchewan that are grieving because of inconceivable acts of violence. They are in our prayers today. It is with a heavy heart that I join with my colleagues today in commemorating the life of our late sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada and head of the Commonwealth. On behalf of the people of Winnipeg South, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to His Majesty the King and the royal family on the Queen's passing. While we all mourn the loss of our Queen, we are also celebrating her exceptional life and historic reign. As our head of state, she set an example of selfless dedication and commitment to service that continues to inspire us all. I had the honour of serving on the international executive of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. This year, Canada played host to over 500 delegates from across the Commonwealth, as the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference was held in Halifax this past August. As I met with representatives from the Commonwealth, I reflected on how notable it is that during the Queen's tenure as head of the Commonwealth, we have seen its transformation from a group of British colonies and territories to a vibrant and dynamic organization of democracies from all over the world that all freely choose to be members. In Halifax, we saluted Her Majesty on the celebration of her Platinum Jubilee and recognized her exemplary service to the Commonwealth and to humanity. As a Manitoba MP, I would briefly like to highlight Her Majesty's six visits to our province. The first time, Princess Elizabeth came in 1951 and attended the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. As an aside, in 1953, as Queen, she granted the Royal Winnipeg Ballet its royal title. It was the first ballet company to receive this honour under her reign. Her second visit as Queen was in 1959 during her tour across Canada with Prince Philip. In 1970, on a later visit, Manitoba was honoured to have the Queen join us for Manitoba's centennial, our 100th anniversary since joining Confederation. Her Majesty travelled extensively throughout our province and brought her two oldest children with her, the then Prince Charles and Princess Anne. Her Majesty would return in 1984 to visit Winnipeg, Dauphin, Brandon and Dugald. In 2002, during her Golden Jubilee, she came to attend the unveiling of the newly refurbished Golden Boy that graces the dome on top of the Manitoba legislature. On this visit, there was also the unfortunate incident where the Queen got to enjoy the Red River a little longer than anticipated, as her river taxi stalled on the water not once but twice. As hon. members will appreciate, she took it all in stride, as was her nature. As another aside, in 2002 I was a proud recipient of Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee Medal for Canada. Queen Elizabeth's final visit to Manitoba was in 2010. She brought with her a stone from Windsor Castle, where the Magna Carta was signed, and this stone remains a feature at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. For the vast majority of Canadians, Queen Elizabeth was the only monarch we have ever known and we are slowly adjusting to life without her. She was a constant and reassuring presence in our lives, and during her reign we came into our own as a confident, diverse and forward-looking country. Canadians will look back fondly on the life and reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and will remember and cherish her wisdom, compassion and warmth. We are now in a period of transition as we write a new chapter in the story of Canada with our new sovereign, King Charles III. Canada has a long history and close relationship with the King, who has visited many, many times, including this year when he and his wife, now Queen Consort, were part of the Queen's jubilee celebrations. I wish King Charles strength in this sad time for him and his family. I know he will provide steady and distinguished service to Canada and the Commonwealth, as did his late mother, the Queen. Long live the King.
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