Hon. Pat Duncan: Honourable senators, I join with you and Canadians in paying tribute by offering our humble thanks to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

There are citizens of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and especially here at home in Canada — Her Majesty’s second home — who have shared their personal stories and connections with the late Queen.

In our home, in later years, there hung on the wall a framed, small print. It read:

By the KING’S Order the name of Flight Sergeant TF Duncan, Royal Air Force, was published in the London Gazette on 11 June 1942, as mentioned in a Despatch for distinguished service I am charged to record His Majesty’s High appreciation.

My mother, then an American, joined the Canadian Army as Princess Elizabeth joined the British. Although my parents never spoke of their war service, the notion of public service — of service to the public — embodied by the Queen was an integral part of our family values.

As a Girl Guide, I was honoured to earn my Canada Cord, which was presented by the Queen’s representative in the Yukon territory, the Commissioner James Smith. At the national junior girls curling championships, as they were then known, we toasted the Queen. As a member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, I pledged allegiance to Her Majesty The Queen, her heirs and successors. For the first time ever, I wore my medals awarded by the Queen yesterday.

Honourable senators, there are many, many remembrances of the Queen and the monarchy throughout our country, and I shared the deep sense of profound loss at the Queen’s passing. It has been underscored by many far more eloquent than I. Yet, I, too, wanted to offer my condolences to her family, to Canadians, to citizens of the United Kingdom and indeed of the world.

The Yukon was only privileged to host Her Majesty on one occasion in 1959. On that visit, Prince Philip travelled to Mayo and Dawson City, piloting the aircraft himself. The Queen was waylaid with morning sickness, thanks to Prince Andrew. Then Prince Charles made the journey with me to Mayo in 2001.

When I was thinking of the words that I wanted to share with you today in sharing the deep sense of profound loss at Her Majesty’s passing, I went for a walk with our special canine friend. Sadly, I did not borrow a corgi. I was walking in the Gunnar Nilsson and Mickey Lammers Research Forest at home in the Yukon. This is an area and an initiative that celebrates the environment. It is on the traditional territory of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, and I believe the Windsor family would truly appreciate this park and this walk. There is interpretive signage sharing the knowledge and culture of the land throughout the many trails in this area. As I was thinking about Her Majesty and her service to the world, this interpretation spoke to me, “caretaker of the fire.”

How do you start a fire without a match? Instead of using matches, Yukon First Nations used an ancient bow drill. The interpretive note explains to us that after going to the trouble of getting the fire started, they watched it carefully. A nomadic people, they carried hot embers wrapped in pouches of kindling with them as they travelled. Being the caretaker of the fire was an important responsibility. What a tremendous responsibility of public service — a trusted position — being the keeper of the embers.

There are as many different interpretations and values associated with fires as there are cultures present throughout Canada. Chief John Kelly at the 1977 Royal Commission on the Northern Environment said:

. . . as the years go by, the circle of the Ojibway gets bigger and bigger . . . Canadians of all colours and religions are entering that circle. You might feel that you have roots somewhere else, but in reality, you are right here with us.

The same optimistic vision of a welcoming Canada was shared by the Queen when she signed our Constitution in 1982. She said:

There could be no better moment for me as Queen of Canada to declare again my unbounded confidence in the future of this wonderful country.

Her Majesty was that keeper. The embers she carried with her were our hearts.

While we mourn her passing — a loss that is deep and profound to her family and to us all — and as we recognize a lifetime of public service, perhaps the greatest way we can pay homage to Her Majesty is to thank her for showing us the greatest standard of service with dignity, grace and humility, and do our best every day to live up to her standard in all that we do.

Merci. Mahsi’cho. Gùnáłchîsh. Thank you, Your Majesty. May you rest in peace.

[Translation]