Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of an outstanding individual, Alex Lampropoulos.
Born in Greece, Alex moved to Kingston in 1962 and wholly gave himself to his community. In addition to being a teacher, he thrived in the political scene in Kingston during his time as a city alderman in the 1970s and 1980s.
As a matter of fact, Alex almost made it to this place. In a heated nomination battle in 1988, Alex was the favoured candidate to represent the Liberal Party of Canada in the upcoming election. However, when the dust settled and the votes were counted, he was narrowly beaten by a relatively unknown Kingstonian who went on to sit in your chair, Mr. Speaker, for many years. Indeed, this place missed the opportunity to grace itself with Alex's personality and boisterous greetings.
However, Ottawa's loss was Kingston's gain. Alex went on to continue his community building locally. I remember him fondly as a man with a big smile and a positive outlook.
His contribution to our community will never be forgotten and I hope everyone will join me in celebrating the life of Alex Lampropoulos.