Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to acknowledge the passing of my friend, Chief Lawrence Paul. Chief Lawrence Paul led the Millbrook First Nation for close to 30 years.
He was a visionary leader and because of his vision, he established two priorities for his people: education and economic development. As an educator, I saw first-hand the fruits of his efforts, and today over 80% of Millbrook First Nation youth graduate from high school, far above the national average.
In terms of economic development, his other priority, to establish a robust economy for his people, led Atlantic Business magazine to declare that Chief Paul was one of the top 50 CEOs in Atlantic Canada.
On behalf of Tammy and myself, we offer the Paul family, Chief Gloade, the band council, and the entire Millbrook First Nation our condolences. He was a great man and my friend. We will all miss him.