Mr. Speaker, it was with great sadness that we learned of the sudden death of Nancy Charest.
A lawyer, tax expert and member of the National Assembly from 2003 to 2007, then the federal Liberal candidate in Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, Nancy was an intelligent, exceptional, energetic and congenial woman with boundless love and pride for her region.
In 2010, I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy during a visit to Mont-Joli to talk about water issues.
We spent the day meeting her constituents and then finished off with a visit to the Maurice Lamontagne Institute research centre. I was immediately struck by her curiosity about the research conducted at the centre.
Nancy always wanted to learn more in order to help her region and promote its interests in Quebec City and Ottawa.
Through her passion and her dedication to the public interest, Nancy Charest was an ambassador unlike any other for the Lower St. Lawrence.