Mr. Speaker, I just learned the sad news of the passing of the D-Day veteran 101-year-old Ernest Côté last night in Ottawa. A proud Van Doos veteran, he served in the Normandy campaign and became deputy minister of my department, Veterans Affairs, after the war.
He was one of the 50 recipients of a flag from the Prime Minister on Flag Day for his tremendous life of service to Canada.
A personal highlight of my public life was seeing Mr. Côté park his walker at the age of 101 and walk onto Juno Beach last year.
I would ask all members of the House to thank the Côté family for his tremendous record of service to Canada.