Mr. Speaker, this weekend I had the honour of attending the Canadian Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Winnipeg, where a great educator was recognized for his contribution to youth in this nation.
Peter Connellan was the coach of the University of Calgary Dinos and won four Vanier Cup championships. He is a recipient of many coaching awards for his work at the University of Calgary as well as for coaching at the high school level. His Alberta coaching career started with the Innisfail Ocelots over 50 years ago. Those same players kept in touch with Peter over the years, and when our team was reconstituted in 2002, after a nearly 20-year absence, he was there to help once again.
Always the teacher, always the mentor, Peter Connellan has created a legacy for youth in my riding. In his mind, anyone could succeed in sports. The only limitation was the commitment of the coaches. This was also his philosophy as a teacher over his successful teaching career. His sense of humour and his optimism was contagious.
Congratulations to Peter on a reward well earned.