Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 5-5(j), I move:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Esteemed colleagues, today I rise to pay tribute to a woman known for her kindness, faith and love for her family and her community. Cécile Mulaire died peacefully on March 29 at the age of 89.

Ms. Mulaire was known for her commitment to the community, her eternal optimism, her positive energy, her endless curiosity and her great generosity. She cared about and cared for everyone around her. Cécile Mulaire served as a reminder of how important it is to encourage and value others and to bring about change.

She was first called to serve in her church community, and she answered that call by participating in the Jeunesse agricole catholique movement and in the Marriage Encounters and Nathanael programs. She even took on pastoral duties if the priest was absent.

As a young married couple, she and her life partner René settled in St-Pierre-Jolys, my hometown, to open their first pharmacy and start a family. I first met Ms. Mulaire through her business. She was always friendly, polite, enthusiastic and kind. Her bright smile also served her well in connecting with people and building ties in her community.

Naturally, Cécile Mulaire served as a role model for her seven children and they, in turn, were a source of inspiration to her. In 1972, she created the popular little Franco-Manitoban hero with the pointy hat, the well-known Bicolo, who graced the pages of the newspaper La Liberté for a number of decades. Starting in 1972, this whimsical character became an educational tool for children ages 4 to 12. Encouraging young people to learn and get involved in the francophone culture and community was at the heart of the Bicolo project.

In 1991, when she decided to pass the torch to other community leaders, Club Bicolo had 10,500 members, including my two children. Bicolo had more followers in 1991 than I could ever hope to have on Twitter today.

Ms. Mulaire received several awards and honours, including the Prix Riel, the Prix Réseau and the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award. She also received the Ordre des francophones d’Amérique.

Cécile Mulaire has left quite a legacy for her children and her community. As Sophie Gaulin wrote so beautifully in La Liberté, “The Manitoban sky has welcomed one of our stars.”

[English]

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, pursuant to rule 4-13(3), I would like to inform the Senate that as we proceed with Government Business, the Senate will address the items in the following order: consideration of Motion No. 35, followed by Motion No. 34, followed by second reading of Bill S-7, followed by all remaining items in the order that they appear on the Order Paper.