Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to a great woman, Dr. Margaret Arkinstall.
I had the pleasure of meeting her just over a year go in my town of East Gwillimbury.
Dr. Arkinstall obtained a degree in medicine from the University of Toronto and set up practice with her husband, Dr. Bill Arkinstall, in Hearst, Ontario in 1931. They travelled by horse and cutter to look after people in lumber camps and remote homesteads.
Dr. Arkinstall was not only a medical practitioner at a time when it was rare to see women in medicine, she also wrote books. In addition, Dr. Arkinstall volunteered her time to the United Church Women's Missionary Society. Since 1948, Dr. Arkinstall has lived in East Gwillimbury with her family and practised medicine in Newmarket.
Dr. Arkinstall was awarded the first East Gwillimbury Citizen of the Year Award for her extraordinary contribution to the community.
I want to celebrate the contribution Dr. Margaret Arkinstall has made to Canada, her community and the advancement of women. Dr. Margaret is truly a great Canadian.