Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tragic passing of the man who was a friend to our entire caucus and a close member of our Conservative family for a very long time, Jim Prentice. I know all of us here have Jim's family in our thoughts. Our hearts go out to his wife, Karen, and his children and grandchildren in the wake of their terrible loss.
Jim served his constituents in Calgary Centre North for over six years with devotion. His genuine blue-collar upbringing clearly served him well as the minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, for industry, and for the environment.
He was a true gentleman politician: kind and possessing a love of public policy and public service. That was true whether he was in opposition or on the government benches in the House or, of course, working for the people of Alberta as the province's 16th premier. So his loss is Alberta's loss, but it is also Canada's loss.
We hope his loved ones find strength in each other even in their grief and that Jim's memory will be a blessing to them in time.