Madam Speaker, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all seen heartbreaking tragedies among the elderly in our communities, especially those in long-term care. However, this crisis has only made visible and amplified problems that have existed for a very long time. Today, I pay tribute to Mind the Gap, a brave group of women in my riding who have been working for many years at all levels of government to find solutions.
Mind the Gap began as a peer support group of six women whose husbands suffered from Alzheimer's. Five of them experienced placing their spouses in long-term care, and most are now widows. What makes these women remarkable is that they have chosen to dedicate their time to using their lived experience to turn to advocacy. I first met them when they were advocating for a national dementia strategy. During the current crisis they have been providing thoughtful solutions, including advocacy for national standards for long-term care, and researching positive models from around the world.
At this very difficult time, I want to thank Mind the Gap members for turning their personal tragedies into a basis for action.