Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure for me to rise in this House today to acknowledge the contribution to Canadian life by Carolyn Thomas, who is an outstanding Canadian and who is a constituent of mine.
Mrs. Thomas, from the community of East Preston, yesterday was the recipient of the 1995 Governor General's award in commemoration of the persons case. This is a particular honour for me because I have known Mrs. Thomas and worked with her and her husband since I was elected to this House in 1988. In that time I found her to have dedication and determination practically unrivalled in my community, not only pertaining to the betterment of women, but for the betterment of her community of East Preston, the oldest indigenous black community in Canada, and for Canadian society as a whole.
In addition to her work in the struggle for equality for women, over her lifetime Carolyn has been a visionary in her struggle for human rights and better race relations. She was a founder of the Human Rights Commission in the province of Nova Scotia and continued her good work with them for 23 years.
I ask that my colleagues here in the House and the people of the great city of Dartmouth and-