Mr. Speaker, we all learned with great regret this morning of the sudden passing of Supreme Court Justice John Sopinka after a short illness.
Mr. Justice Sopinka was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in June 1988. He was born in 1933 in Broderick, Saskatchewan. He was educated in Hamilton, Ontario, and graduated from the University of Toronto in 1958. Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court, he was one of Canada's most renowned lawyers and had been called to the bar in five provinces and two territories.
Justice Sopinka was a great jurist who will be remembered for his contributions both to the court and to the Canadian justice system which he served with great distinction.
On behalf of all members of this House I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the members of his family.