Madam Speaker, Sudbury-born Alex Trebek never forgot his roots. Born to a French-Canadian mother with first nations ancestry and a Ukrainian immigrant father, and raised with a keen interest in geography, Trebek embodied both Sudbury and Canada.
We know him as the most successful game show host in history, having hosted world-famous Jeopardy! from Hollywood for more than 30 years. Trebek had a broad career before that in Canada. He was a news reader at CBC and a morning show host in Toronto. He was even short-listed to host Hockey Night in Canada. Throughout his storied career, Trebek remained a huge advocate for education, having served as the Royal Canadian Geographical Society's honorary president since May 2016 and hosting the Canadian Geographic Challenge numerous times.
Not long after Trebek announced he had pancreatic cancer, I had a chance to give him a gift from the people of Sudbury. Hundreds of residents had written well wishes on City of Greater Sudbury flags and Trebek shared with me how he was deeply moved by this gesture.
He was a first-rate ambassador for his hometown of Sudbury and for Canada as a whole.
His legacy and memory will long be part of Sudbury's and Canada's proud history.