Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a wonderful, dedicated senator who is now retiring after two decades of service to Canadians and Manitobans. Senator Stratton has been a personal friend and an invaluable mentor to me. We share many of the same interests and passions.
This includes the French language.
Senator Stratton spent the early years of his career as an architect, and after working many years in that field, he became an instructor at Red River College. His commitment to our community evolved and he served on many boards, including the University of Winnipeg and the United Way of Winnipeg, and in March 1993, he was appointed to the Senate of Canada.
For the last 20 years, Senator Stratton has worked tirelessly toward the betterment of Canada, often sacrificing personal and family time in his service to this country. He has done us all very proud, and I am sure I speak for all of my colleagues in this House when I say that he will be greatly missed. I ask the House to join me in thanking Senator Terry Stratton for his years of service and in wishing him all the best in retirement.