Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today honour a very special constituent and mark a very special occasion. On April 6, Grace Swanson will turn 100 years old.
Grace came to Canada in 1913 as the eldest of seven children and settled in the beautiful city of Kenora. She married her husband Fred, and in 1930 they built a summer camp on Longbow Lake, where I also spend my summers. Like a true northwestern Ontarian, she enjoyed the incredible hunting and fishing that the Lake of the Woods area has to offer.
Grace supported her country in time of war by knitting socks for soldiers serving overseas. She volunteered for numerous elections over the years, volunteered at her church and enjoyed singing in the senior choir.
Grace is a woman who has lived her life fully and shared her love of music, singing, ballet, painting and travel with those she loves.
The fabric of this great country has been built by the contributions of seniors like Grace.
Congratulations to a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother and a great-great-grandmother. Happy 100th birthday to Grace Swanson.