Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to Dr. Lucille Teasdale, who died of AIDS related complications on August 1. It was during my training as a nurse that I had the opportunity to work with this extraordinary woman.
In a profession that was then an almost exclusively male preserve, Lucille Teasdale, one of the first female surgeons in Canada, earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues.
In the early 1960s, she founded a hospital in Uganda with her husband, Dr. Pietro Corti. Despite threats, fear and the war, she continued for 34 years to provide care with devotion and skill. In 1985, as the result of cutting herself during surgery, she became seropositive. Nonetheless, she continued her work until the end.
She gave her life to relieve the suffering and misery of her African compatriots. Her unbeatable tenacity, her exceptional discipline and her courage made Lucille Teasdale a great Quebecer and we thank her.