Mr. Speaker, Charles Roach is a tireless activist and leading figure in Toronto's black community.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, a son of a trade union organizer, Charles arrived in Canada in 1955. He recognized early in life that politics was an important vehicle to achieve social justice and dedicated years of his life to making Toronto a more equitable place.
As a leading civil rights lawyer in Canada, he spent almost 50 years in courtrooms defending human rights and fought many battles for the poor and marginalized. He established the Movement of Minority Electors in 1978 to encourage people of colour to enter electoral politics. He continued his activism by organizing marches and demonstrations with a focus on equal rights and opportunity for all.
Charles founded the Caribana festival, serving as its first chair. A highlight of my summer, the festival, now in its 45th year, generates an annual revenue of $350 million by attracting over one million visitors to the city.
I am honoured to stand here today in recognition of Charles Roach's extraordinary accomplishments and to thank him for dedicating his life to creating a more equitable and just world.