Mr. Speaker, this week Canada has seen the death of one of its true pioneers. I speak of Ms. Rosemary Brown, the first black woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada.
This milestone was achieved in 1972 in British Columbia, but Ms. Brown went on to achieve another milestone regarding women and politics.
In 1975 she was the first woman to run for the leadership of a federal political party. She was truly a trailblazer who showed the way for women in politics at every level.
Ms. Brown never gave up on her goal of equality for women. She moved on from political life to that of academia and became a professor of women's studies. She became known across Canada as a champion of justice and equality for women.
Canadians will miss her commitment, her influence and her voice as a champion of women's equality.