Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a long time reformer and personal friend, Olive Stickney. A pioneer from the Peace River country, Olive died in Edmonton on May 3 at the age of 88.
In the early years of the reform party, we held small informal meetings all over the countryside. At one meeting in the Peace River country Preston Manning expressed surprise at the huge audience assembled in the hall. In explanation, one person called out “Olive Stickney told us we had to come to this meeting or she'd burn our barns down”. Such was the presence and personality of Olive.
In recent years she lived in Edmonton. She and I had many visits, many laughs, and compared notes on each other's riding skills--I on my burgundy motorcycle and she on her burgundy motor scooter. I am sure she put almost as many miles as I did.
We will miss her laughter, her mischief, her sheer joy of life, and her wild and wonderful hats. To her family, we offer our sympathies as they say goodbye to Olive. We thank them for sharing her with us.