Mr. Speaker, January 21 was Lincoln Alexander Day in Canada. The first black member of Parliament, federal cabinet minister and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, I covered Linc's first election victory in 1968 as a young radio reporter, and he became a good friend and mentor.
When I first ran for public office his advice to me was “don't spend any of your own money” and “campaign in elevators” because nobody stays too long and there are always new faces.
After the 9/11 attack, Hamilton suffered a retaliatory hate crime when arsonists burned our Hindu Samaj Temple. The community rallied to assist and arranged a fundraising gala highlighted by an address by Lincoln Alexander. Few of us could have delivered Linc's message with the conviction he had when he told the Hindu community in his remarkable voice with a tear in his eye, “I feel your pain”.
Those of us who knew the hon. Lincoln Alexander will never forget him.