Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart I rise today to pay tribute to a couple in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets. Dr. Dave and Heather Abriel were tragically killed in a car accident on February 2.
Dave and Heather were well-loved musicians and Father and Mrs. Christmas.
Dave was a giant of a man with a heart to match and will be remembered primarily for his passion as a palliative care physician. It was not unusual for Dave to go to the bedside of a patient in the middle of the night to comfort the family as a person passed. He was the quintessential caring rural physician with a wife who was always by his side. He was a champion for those patients wishing to die at home and a strong advocate for medical assistance in dying.
To their children, Kate, Dan, and Shelagh, your community grieves with you. Dave and Heather should rest easy. They have made a difference in the lives of many and our community is a better place because they were here.