Madam Speaker, on July 3, we lost a great patriot: Roger Guertin.
I want to pay tribute to this extraordinary man, who deserves much of the credit for the seat I hold today. I want to extend my deepest condolences to Roger's family, Denise, Sébastien and Julien, his many friends and his political family.
Roger was kind, humble and generous. He was a man of integrity who will be remembered for his many years of service on the St. Lawrence Seaway and for his commitment to Quebec's separatist movement. In our minds, he will forever be the man who held down the fort during difficult times. It never occurred to him to give up. He believed in the country of Quebec.
He was a great friend, my inspiration and my captain. I am losing a mentor and a devoted ally of the cause. I will miss his happy, hopeful face. I want to close with a quote from Félix Leclerc that aptly describes the memory of Roger Guertin:I know of a country
Far away from here
Where the ocean, life
And love unite.