Mr. Speaker, this week Alberta lost one of its most prominent sons, Gordon Towers, who died at the age of 79.
Born in Red Deer, he devoted his life to the people of Red Deer and Alberta. We were neighbours south of Red Deer, and I have known him for a long time. We did not always agree, but I always respected his sense of community and his loyalty to the people of Alberta and Canada.
Towers, a strong supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party, was a five time member of parliament for the Red Deer riding. In the course of his career as a MP, he served as a parliamentary secretary to the solicitor general and later to the minister of science and technology. Towers ended his public career as the lieutenant-governor of Alberta, but at heart he was always a constituency man.
I am sure that the people of Red Deer will always remember him for the model that he set. Central Alberta has lost a favourite son and he will be deeply missed by his family, friends and former constituents.