Mr. Speaker, my riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore has a special place in Canadian history. We are the constituency that elected the first Black Canadian to the Ontario legislature and the first Black woman to the House of Commons.
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Black History Month, it is thanks to my predecessor, the Hon. Jean Augustine, and her motion, which was unanimously agreed to in the House of Commons. That was no small feat. Jean was the first woman elected to represent this riding in the House, the first Black woman elected to the chamber and the first Black woman appointed to cabinet. Recently, Maclean's magazine presented her with a well-deserved lifetime achievement award.
Leonard Austin Braithwaite was an outstanding Second World War veteran, a gifted lawyer, a school trustee and a city councillor. He served the legislature from 1963 to 1975, was instrumental in revoking racial segregation in schools and advocated for girls to be allowed to serve as pages in the chamber.
It is an honour to follow in the footsteps of these trailblazers.