Mr. Speaker, Canada has lost one of its truest friends with the passing of Monsieur Georges Devloo, a resident of Vimy, France.
Monsieur Devloo was an exceptional man who, for many years, gave generously of his time helping hundreds of Canadians to visit the Vimy Ridge National Historic Site.
Canadians who travelled to Vimy by train would often find out too late that the Vimy Memorial was a fair distance from the village and that there was no local transportation available to take them to the memorial. That was when Monsieur Devloo would step in. He made it part of his daily routine, even at the age of 85, to stop at the train station to offer weary visitors a lift to the memorial. Such kindness earned Monsieur Devloo the affectionate title of “Grand-père de Vimy”.
This past November the Minister of Veterans Affairs paid tribute to this remarkable man by presenting him with a special certificate of recognition.
On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to express our sincere condolences to Monsieur Devloo's family and his many friends. We shall always remember his continuous commitment to remembrance. He will be greatly missed.