Mr. Speaker, it is with considerable sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to the late Margaret Rideout, who died Wednesday at 87 years old. In 1964, Mrs. Rideout was the first woman from New Brunswick ever elected to the House of Commons. Four years later, she became a Citizenship Court judge and served as chief judge of the Court of Canadian Citizenship.
Mrs. Rideout was highly respected for her dedication to the people of Moncton and her commitment to public service and Canada's immigration system. Her son, Mr. Justice George Rideout, was a colleague and is a friend to many of us, as he too served in the House from 1988 to 1997.
I know all members join me in the mourning of the loss of this outstanding Canadian and expressing our deepest sympathies to the Rideout family at this difficult time.