Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a man of character who believed in the importance of family, the community and service to others.
On February 28 of this year Mr. Alfred Hales died at the age of 88, leaving behind his wife of 62 years, Mary Hales, three children, nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
I note that Mr. and Mrs. Hales had two sets of twins, one of them deceased. I can imagine what an exciting family it was when the children were young.
In reading about the life of Mr. Hales, one is quickly struck by his sense of community and passion for causes he believed in. It is truly refreshing to read of a man who took great satisfaction from attaining goals not for himself, but with an understanding of the greater impact on those around him.
Mr. Hales was quoted in an interview at one time, commenting that community service is the rent we pay for space on earth. That was a motto with which he lived his life and, as has already been mentioned, the rent was paid in full.
In 1956 Mr. Hales had his first taste of community service by way of politics. He served as an alderman for the city of Guelph. He then went on to federal politics. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1957 and re-elected seven times. I do not think anything speaks more highly of the character of a person than his constituents choosing to re-elect him seven times.
During his 17 years as a member of Parliament, he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour. He served on many committees and was actively involved in a number of foreign delegations.
It is, however, the parliamentary internship program which stands out as one of his greatest accomplishments. In 1970 the House of Commons, thanks to the work of Mr. Hales, saw its first class of interns. This program, still in place today, gives students from all over the country the opportunity to learn about life on the Hill.
Politics was not the only rent that Mr. Hales chose to pay. After 17 years as an MP, he retired and began to look for other ways to give back to the community. Although he was active in public causes before and during his time in Ottawa, it was following his retirement from politics that Mr. Hales took a more local approach to issues, jumping into Guelph community activities with both feet.
According to his daughter, he felt deep roots in the Guelph community because a long line of Hales' generations had lived there. That is why he worked so hard for the city, serving on the Guelph police commission, founding the Guelph prayer breakfast, fundraising for and building a community centre, preserving the history of Guelph through the historical society and serving on innumerable fundraising projects for charities.
He also had time for his four-legged friends in the community, serving as the law representative on the Ontario Veterinary Council.
Although Mr. Hales took on his activities out of a sense of duty and responsibility, he was recognized by his peers for his generosity. He was made a Paul Harris fellow by the Guelph Rotary Club. He was inducted into the University of Guelph sports hall of fame. He was awarded the certificate of merit for outstanding service to the Red Cross. He was awarded a commemorative medal on the 125th anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. He was made a Mel Osborne fellow by the Kiwanis Club of Guelph.
Although I did not know Mr. Hales personally, I believe it would be fair in the reading of his life to comment that his greatest awards and rewards were not those which I have mentioned were given to him. Instead, in the words of his son, it was strong beliefs that drove him to work so hard for others.
His son, David, is quoted as saying “father believed very strongly in family, community and his church. He was committed to all of these”.
Although many awards were given to Mr. Hales for his service, I believe it is those who have been touched by his generosity that have been truly rewarded.
We express our sincere condolences to his wife, Mary, and all the family. May they find comfort in the memory of his life well lived.