Mr. Speaker, I am sure everyone will join me in offering our most sincere condolences to Carol Anne Letheren's partner, Michael Murnaghan, and to her family. It with great sorrow that I join my colleagues on both sides of the House today in stating that Canada lost a great friend of and advocate for sport when Carol Anne, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Association and member of the International Olympic Committee, passed away last week.
Ms. Letheren's passion for and dedication to sport was illustrated by her lifetime of involvement as an athlete, coach, official and administrator from the community level to the national and international levels.
In addition to her work with the Olympic movement, Carol Anne contributed directly as a volunteer in the sports of gymnastics, archery and volleyball. She was a champion for amateur athletes and a leader for Canada. She devoted herself to the promotion of Olympic values and the development of the Olympic movement in Canada and internationally. She was also intimately involved in Canada's Olympic bid efforts for Toronto in 2008.