Mr. Speaker, Ken Thomson passed away suddenly yesterday in his 83rd year. His impact on Canada is profound.
When his father died in 1976, he inherited the title of Lord Thomson of Fleet and a business empire. He never sat in the House of Lords, but in just 30 years he grew the business some 40 times, to over $22 billion, making him the richest in Canada and ninth richest in the world.
He took the Globe and Mail national and moved into electronic publishing, never interfering but always nurturing his people.
His donation of some 3,000 works of art plus $70 million to the Art Gallery of Ontario was generous beyond belief.
To his wife Marilyn and children David, Peter and Taylor, we send our heartfelt sympathy.
We give thanks for the life of this humble, frugal, caring man whose leadership and philanthropy have done so much to make Canada better.
We thank you, Ken. He will not be forgotten.