Madam Speaker, we were saddened to hear that Billy Diamond, a well-known aboriginal political personality in Quebec, has passed away.
He was a founding member of the Grand Council of the Crees of Quebec, serving as Grand Chief from 1974 to 1984. In 1975, he signed the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, which led to the construction of large hydroelectric dams on James Bay, on behalf of the Cree community of northern Quebec. He also represented the Quebec Cree and the Assembly of First Nations during the constitutional conferences of 1982 and 1983. He was also a businessman involved in various Cree businesses, including Air Creebec. In 1987, he was made a knight of the National Order of Quebec in recognition of his contributions and his legacy.
My Bloc Québécois colleagues and I salute Mr. Diamond's involvement. We wish to convey our sincere condolences to his wife, Elizabeth, and their six children.