Debates of Sept. 15th, 2022

Tributes to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II—Address of Sympathy and Loyalty to His Majesty King Charles III

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the world changed on Thursday, September 8, 2022. It has been stated by many that most people alive today have known only one Queen of the United Kingdom, of the Commonwealth, of Canada, and that is certainly true for me. We have a collector's magazine on our coffee table at home dated June 1953, commemorating the coronation of then 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth, who had been Queen for a couple of months already, due to the sudden unexpected passing of her father, King George VI.

Just to date myself, I was born between those two dates, that of her accession to the throne and her coronation.

It has been noted that Elizabeth has been Queen of Canada for almost half of its existence as a modern state. It is historic that we now see a transition from a queen to a king, something that we are all going to have to get used to.

Even though the face of the monarchy has changed from Elizabeth II, who is well adored and loved by the whole world, to Charles III, who has very big shoes to fill now, nothing has really changed. As a member of Parliament, I swore allegiance to Elizabeth II and her heirs. Parliament was not dissolved. The government continues to function. The political party of which I am a member continues to be the loyal opposition, loyal to the Crown.

It bears noting that another historical event has taken place recently. Our colleague, the member for Carleton, has now become the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition, a phrase that has not been used in 70 years.

I never met the Queen, but I always felt I knew her, going back to my elementary school days at Virginia Park Elementary School in Edmonton, Alberta. Every classroom in the school proudly displayed a more or less up-to-date photograph of the Queen. We saluted the flag. We recited The Lord's Prayer. We sang God Save the Queen almost as often as we sang our national anthem, Oh Canada.

I love that Canada is multicultural. I am personally a beneficiary of that, having been born to parents who had just recently immigrated from the Netherlands. While they maintained many of their Dutch traditions, they truly valued the rich traditions around the British Crown and all that goes with it: the parliamentary government, a stable monarchy, the stability offered by a monarch who rides above the politics of the day. These are concepts that they grew up with in their home country and that were instilled in us as children.

I never met Queen Elizabeth, but it is in my DNA to respect the value that an unchanging monarchy brings to our national identity, stability and unity.

Canadians see their elected representatives disagree about almost everything and some days, judging by what goes on in this chamber, one would think that there was very little unity and almost no national identity. However, we can always turn to the Crown and remind ourselves that, in fact, we are one.

How will Charles III measure up to his mother in performance of royal duties? I am sure he will do a great job, but in a way it doesn't really matter. The functioning of government does not depend on the strengths or failings of the monarch of the day.

It matters a lot in this respect: More and more people in the Commonwealth nations and in Canada are questioning the relevance of a royal family that dates back to the Middle Ages, to feudal Europe, to earlier days of class structures. None of this has a place in our modern, egalitarian, democratic society, so how does this ancient tradition survive? By adaptation, of course. Elizabeth II did that very well. She knew when to speak, when to be silent, when to be present, when to be absent, when to be transparent and how to manage the mystique behind the royal throne.

She demonstrated servant leadership since the very beginning of her public life. In a statement that she made to the Commonwealth on her 21st birthday, she said, “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service”. For the next 75 years, she demonstrated that she actually meant those words.

Nowhere was this commitment to humble servant leadership more evident than in her annual Christmas address.

In 2014, she said this in her Christmas address:

For me the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and anchor in my life.

A couple of years later, in 2016, she included these words in her Christmas address:

Billions of people now follow Christ's teachings and find in him a guiding light for their lives. I am one of them....

As the years went by, Elizabeth became more vocal about her Christian faith. Maybe age gave her pause to reflect on her own mortality. Maybe the instability of the world around her made her reach for the stability that she found in this ancient faith. Maybe it was also Elizabeth II demonstrating servant leadership in her other role on earth, and that is head of the Church of England. She understood that even as England became more and more of a multicultural, multiracial, multi-faith society, it was still highly relevant for the head of the Church of England to use the language of the church.

In closing, I am going to quote the Archbishop of Canterbury, who said the other day:

May Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace and rise in glory.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to join other hon. members of this House to pay tribute to our head of state for over seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II. It is indeed a great privilege to share my personal sentiments, which I can assure members are shared by many residents of Willowdale who are deeply saddened by the passing of our monarch.

Over the last several days, we have witnessed an extraordinary outpouring of grief by numerous individuals around the world. We have heard countless expressions of sorrow on the passing of an exceptional personality who found a very special place in very many hearts.

For each of us, our individual or personal reasons may vary. In other words, she endeared herself to legions for a wide variety of qualities and reasons. However, we all recognize that we are now mourning the passing of a tireless monarch who embodied the notion of duty and epitomized the very best of public service. She had a profound effect on many. She was a constant in so many countless lives over the span of many tumultuous decades.

During her seven-decade reign, she was a historic beacon of hope. She weathered countless global crises with steady determination, great dignity and boundless decency. Despite the whirlwind of developments the world experienced during her lifetime, she proved unflappable and always remained committed to remaining a tower of strength and an embodiment of determination during these uncertain times.

The public first caught an early glimpse of her steadfast qualities even before she ascended the throne, when, at age 14, she felt compelled to offer a radio address from Windsor Castle in 1940. It was addressed specifically to children to reassure youth of the promise of impending peace during the dark days of the Second World War. As she remarked during that address, “And when peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.”

It should also come as no surprise that a few years later, while still a teenager, at her own insistence, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service to train as a truck driver and mechanic to assist the war effort.

That very same sense of duty and service were constants after she assumed the throne. Her sense of obligation and fortitude never dulled. It is now estimated that the Queen presided over an average of 500 official appointments in any given year of her lengthy reign. It is also true that she is recognized as the most widely travelled head of state in history.

As Canadians, we were great beneficiaries of her attention and affections. She travelled to Canada on no less than 22 official visits as a monarch. Indeed, Canada was the country most frequently visited by Her Majesty. As she noted on one occasion about our country, “I am sure that nowhere under the sun could one find a land more full of hope”.

It should come as no surprise that she was among us here in Canada in 1957 when Her Majesty became the first Canadian monarch to open Parliament and deliver a speech from the throne. She opened the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. She attended the 100th anniversary of the meeting of the Fathers of Confederation in Charlottetown in 1964. She was present for our centennial in Ottawa in 1967.

She participated in Expo 67 in Montreal, and was present for the opening of the summer Olympic games in Montreal in 1976. She was present to mark the 100th anniversary of the admission into Confederation of Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island variously between 1970 and 1973.

In 1982, she was present in Ottawa to participate in the patriation ceremony of our new Constitution, which of course included the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It should also be highlighted that she appointed our first French Canadian Governor General in 1959, proclaimed our national flag in 1965 and established the Order of Canada in 1967.

During her lengthy reign, she conferred countless honours upon and sent congratulatory letters and messages to thousands of Canadians, and acted as a royal patron of countless Canadian charities, while also developing and maintaining a particularly strong bond with our military and the RCMP.

Of course, her greatest impact was on individual Canadians. This she did through her unforgettable Christmas addresses.

She noted this in a visit to Halifax in 2010:

Canadians have, by their own endeavours, built a country and society which is widely-admired across the world. I am fortunate to have been a witness to many of the developments and accomplishments of modern Canada.

I would also be remiss if I did not remark on her dedication to maintaining strong bonds with the widest array of countries, in effect allowing our country to broaden and deepen our ties with numerous countries as a member of the Commonwealth. Indeed, our membership in the Commonwealth alongside other multilateral institutions has allowed us to maintain with great pride for many decades that we are the most connected country in the world. During the Queen's reign, the Commonwealth grew from seven to 56 member states, in essence ensuring the Commonwealth was comprised of countries with an estimated 2.5 billion people. These bonds have allowed Canada to forge close ties and bonds of friendship with numerous countries.

The Commonwealth's objectives were first explicitly and expressly outlined in 1971, when the organization committed itself to world peace, the promotion of representative democracy and individual liberty. While we can all acknowledge the vicissitudes in the fortunes of the Commonwealth, there can be no doubt that Her Majesty reimagined the Commonwealth and was devoted to ensuring that the organization was devoted to improving conditions among all its member states.

The greatest example of this occurred in 1986, when 48 of the then 49 members of the Commonwealth agreed to adopt sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa. The then government of Prime Minister Thatcher was the only holdout. We now know, with the benefit of declassified diplomatic archives, not only that Canada assumed a leading role to cajole the United Kingdom to change its official position, but that the Queen also joined this endeavour, of course only from behind the scenes and with great dignity and decorum.

Allow me to offer my condolences to the royal family and, in particular, His Majesty King Charles.

I join millions around the world in saluting Queen Elizabeth for her tireless decades of duty and service.

May you rest in peace, Your Majesty.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in my brief parliamentary career, rising today to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of those whom I represent in South Shore—St. Margarets is the greatest honour I could imagine. There have been many wonderful tributes to Her Majesty in this place today, and I will attempt to add some additional perspectives in this commemoration of an exemplary life of dedication and service.

The loss of one's mother leaves one feeling unmoored. It leaves one feeling the anchor of the family is lost. It changes the family forever. Those of us who have lost our mothers know this to be true. My mother, Rosemarie Borgald Perkins, passed away less than three months ago, on June 29. There is a sense that one is adrift. Several of our colleagues in this place also lost their mothers this summer and are experiencing the same grief.

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a loss felt most deeply by her children, King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Theirs is the loss of a mother's love. William Shakespeare captured the feeling of a child once their mother is gone well in Henry V, when he wrote:

And all my mother came into mine eyes
And gave me up to tears.

The royal family must feel that way in this period of public grieving, the way all of us feel when we lose a parent. Grief comes in waves like the ocean, waves of deep sadness and waves of great humour and joy. Queen Elizabeth said, in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, that “Grief is the price we pay for love." As her family grieves, as her nation and the Commonwealth grieve, we are demonstrating a global act of love and thanks to Her Majesty and her family.

She said, as we know, in her statement on her accession to the throne, “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service”. Indeed, we were blessed that her life was long and she fulfilled her duties with grace, solemnity, passion and humour. The world is a better place for it.

When we grieve for the loss of a person we care about, we often reflect on our own lives and tell a few stories about that person that captures their personality. If the House indulges me, I will tell a few stories about Her Majesty.

My mother and father grew up in Halifax during World War II. It was a busy war port and the King, Queen, royal family and Winston Churchill played a huge part in their lives at that time. When young Queen Elizabeth, only 33, visited Nova Scotia for the first time as the Queen, my mother and father had to go to see her. They did, and when the motorcade passed, my mother and her sister ran down the road after the Queen like they were Beatles' groupies and embarrassed the heck out of my father.

In this place, we all know the importance of the role that those that do tour advance for prime ministers play in serving our country. One of my best friends, Scott Munnoch, played this role for Prime Minister Mulroney. Scott, in this role, often wore white running shoes with his suits. He even wore them while wearing black tie. While it looked a bit goofy, it was comfortable, given the long days he had on his feet. Scott is a big man. Having been a defensive lineman on the Queen's University football team, he is hard to miss.

During the royal visit in 1992 to celebrate Canada's 125th birthday, Scott wore white running shoes the entire time. RCMP security mentioned to him that a couple of times in the car, the Queen had asked about the fellow with the running shoes. On Canada Day, Her Majesty appeared at the noon-hour show on the Hill and returned for the evening show as well, something she had never done before.

On the final day of departure at Uplands Airport, the farewell delegation included the prime minister, Mrs. Mulroney and several ministers. They were lined up at the foot of the stairs to the aircraft. Once they were assembled, Scott stood on the opposite side at the foot of the stairs, out of the way, he thought. Her Majesty said her goodbyes and moved up the aircraft stairs. After a step or two up the stairs, she paused, turned around to Scott and said, “I really like your footwear.” She then boarded the plane and flew back to London.

In 1997, while serving in a similar role for Premier Harris, Scott organized the Ontario portion of Her Majesty's visit to Canada. At the last stop of the tour in North Bay, Scott was told to be present at an event with Her Majesty. As the last person to be called into the personal audience with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the Queen invested on the “fellow wearing the running shoes” the Royal Victorian Order, making him a member of this dynastic order established by Queen Victoria, which is only bestowed by the monarch. It recognizes distinguished personal service to the monarch. Scott is the 2,072nd person in the Commonwealth to receive this honour since it was established in 1896.

In 2002, Her Majesty the Queen was in Regina to unveil the statue of her riding her prized horse Burmese, a gift from the RCMP. The RCMP had transported the State Landau to Saskatchewan for the event. The day was marred on and off by torrential rains, so the commanding officer of the RCMP asked the monarch if she would like the roof installed to keep her dry. She responded, in typical Queen Elizabeth fashion, that if her subjects were going to be in the rain, then so should she. The roof went back to the truck where it stayed for the rest of the day.

On another visit to Canada, for her Golden Jubilee, she visited Exhibition Place in Toronto, where Her Majesty was to be introduced to a renewed horse breed called the Canadian that had gone almost extinct. She immediately made a connection with the huge horse, which was a little skittish because of the crowd and because of the camera flashes that were happening. To everyone's surprise, Her Majesty pulled a large carrot out of her handbag and fed it to the horse, now her new best friend. There we have it. There was more in her purse than just a sandwich.

A staff member of mine, Denis Drever, acted as an official photographer on royal tours to Canada for Her Majesty and Prince Philip. He did that three times. At the conclusion of one of those tours, the Queen personally presented him, a professional photographer, with a hand-signed portrait of the royal couple and said, “It's quite odd really, me giving you a photograph.” Naturally, he accepted it with thanks and it now hangs proudly in a place of honour in my Hill office.

In a story President Reagan told Prime Minister Mulroney, President Reagan hosted the Queen and as the visit wound down the president asked her what her schedule was the next day. She replied that she was going home, going to Canada. It spoke of her affection and love for Canada.

Queen Elizabeth attended only two funerals of the 15 prime ministers who swore allegiance to her: Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill. Therefore, I will conclude my tribute with the words of Winston Churchill in his final toast to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth when he was prime minister. Churchill said this:

Never have the august duties which fall upon the British monarch been discharged with more devotion than in the brilliant opening to your Majesty’s reign. We thank God for the gift he has bestowed upon us and vow ourselves anew to the sacred cause, and wise and kindly way of life of which your Majesty is the young, gleaming champion.

God bless Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and long live King Charles III.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to address the House on behalf of the residents of Brampton South to commemorate the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

As a nation, we express our sincere condolences to the royal family, the people of the United Kingdom and the entire Commonwealth. The Queen will forever be remembered for her devoted service to the Commonwealth and its people.

Over generations, hundreds of Bramptonians have served our country with Her Majesty, who is commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces, through the Lorne Scots primary reserve unit of the Canadian Army. The Lorne Scots is one of Canada's oldest military units, dating back to the 18th century, and its headquarters is based in Brampton South. The unit continues to defend Canada and has participated in nearly every engagement Canada has sent troops to. Many of the unit's veterans are now members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 15, and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their service to our country.

When Her Majesty's father passed away in February 1952, Princess Elizabeth became the Queen and head of the Commonwealth. That meant she became our commander-in-chief, overseeing our military and witnessing so many historical milestones over her reign. She was our monarch for almost half of this country's existence, and Canada was honoured to host her 22 times as sovereign. She visited all 10 Canadian provinces and three territories during her reign, and just five years after she became Queen she visited to open our Parliament in 1957.

One of her visits took place in 1973 when the Queen and her husband Prince Philip visited Brampton for the 100th anniversary of the town. They were greeted by then mayor James Archdekin and were the guests of honour during the ceremony. They visited Brampton's Gage Park, our first municipal park, which is now located in Brampton South. Clippings from the official book published to commemorate that anniversary said:

Queen Elizabeth, on her arrival in Brampton on Friday, June 29, was accorded one of the warmest welcomes she received anywhere during her ten-day Canadian Tour. Gage Park, site of the official ceremonies, was crowded by thousands of Bramptonians and visitors from many other Ontario communities. Hundreds of children were in the crowd which craned to see every movement of the Queen.

As members know, Brampton is commonly referred to as the “Flower City” of Canada, and I am often asked where this name came from. It starts with a man named Edward Dale, who moved to Brampton from England to grow vegetables and flowers. Edward Dale retired in 1882 and his son Harry Dale took over. By then, Dale Estate employed a quarter of Brampton's population, with over 140 greenhouses to its name. Each year, they grew more and more roses and built more and more greenhouses.

People came from around the world to see Brampton's greenhouses, and Dale's flowers were even enjoyed by royalty. Brampton's Dale Estate provided flowers three times over two years for the Queen and was the largest greenhouse operation in the Commonwealth at that point in the 1950s. In a letter sent following their visit to Brampton, the Queen and Prince Philip sent their warm thanks for the centennial rose bushes that were presented to them. Brampton continues to be a vibrant city full of beautiful gardens, and we carry forward this legacy.

My favourite part of the story of the visit by Her Majesty and His Royal Highness to Brampton is that, after the official ceremony, they met with 25 new Canadian citizens who had received their citizenship earlier that same day. It was a true moment that showcased her values of openness, compassion and respect. The stories in local newspapers following Her Majesty's visit speak for themselves and to her grace. She was happy to be in Brampton, and our residents welcomed her with open arms.

One headline in the Daily Times, a Brampton paper of the era, read, “Thousands of Local Hearts Captured by the Royal Visitors”. Another read, “She Was So Gracious... So Radiant”.

Her passing is a loss for everyone, and our Brampton residents have touching memories of her reign. Earlier this year, Canada celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty from coast to coast to coast, marking her 70th anniversary on the throne, and just last month I had the honour to attend, alongside colleagues, the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Halifax.

It was a gathering of more than 600 delegates talking about key global issues and solutions. Some of the core themes included democracy, sustainable development, human rights and especially the rights of women and girls. These are core Commonwealth values that we remain committed to protecting and promoting. Common ties and shared values are what make the Commonwealth strong, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II cared about this deeply.

I want to note that the facts and stories I shared with members today were preserved by the tireless work of the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives historians and archive workers. I am grateful for their efforts in collecting materials of historical value to ensure that these stories are told for decades to come.

In conclusion, I want to encourage all members of the House and all Canadians listening to continue to build bridges with other democracies and to promote values of peace, security and prosperity. This is what the Queen devoted herself to and how she will be remembered by us. When the Queen departed Gage Park on that sunny June day in 1976, God Save the Queen was played by the Lorne Scots military band. Today, we reflect on the Queen's legacy and say, “God save the King.”

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and it is with profound sadness that I rise to join my colleagues in this special session of the House today to pay tribute to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth played many roles on the world stage, but her duties first and foremost were as a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. On behalf of my constituents in Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, I want to start by extending my sincerest condolences to the royal family, especially to our new sovereign, His Majesty King Charles III, who must grieve the loss of his mother while assuming the heavy and solemn duties of the Crown.

I have been listening to the speeches today, and I know that many of my colleagues have remarked that for most Canadians, Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch they have ever known. It is certainly true for me. I arrived on this earth in 1979, when the Queen was 53 years old and had already served as our sovereign for 27 years. When I was growing up, her image was ubiquitous, on all of our coinage, our $2 bills and our $20 bills. Her portrait was displayed in clubs, in legion halls and in our schools, to name just a few of the places.

When a monarch reigns for that length of time, people can be forgiven for regarding her with a sense of permanence. Governments come and go, but the Crown remains, an institution that has been a foundation for so many countries around the world during some very turbulent decades, including our own. Her presence was constant. It was a source of stability, so when I heard the news last Thursday that members of her immediate family had been summoned to Balmoral because of her grave condition, my immediate thought was that it was not serious and that she would bounce back and continue with her duties, as she had always done. After all, she had met with the newly elected leader of the U.K. Conservative Party, Liz Truss, only two days before, to invite her to become prime minister and form a government.

Her death, announced later that same day, came as a shock, and I know that many in this chamber and, indeed, many of my constituents are still trying to process that.

I want to speak a bit about the Crown as an institution and Queen Elizabeth's embodiment of that institution. Many of my colleagues have spoken of it as an institution that transcends our political institutions and has given our country, as a constitutional monarchy, a stability to endure. Given that the throne shall never be empty, the accession of Charles as king was immediate. That is why, over the centuries, the phrase “The Queen is dead. Long live the King” has underlined the fact that the throne is never empty.

It resulted in a cascading series of changes in our institutions, everything from the renaming of our naval ships, which now go from Her Majesty's Canadian ship to His Majesty's Canadian ship, to the Court of Queen's Bench, which is now the Court of King's Bench and, of course, Her Majesty's loyal opposition, which is now His Majesty's loyal opposition. This shows that while our politics differ, our loyalty to the state and our wish to see it do well remain unchanged, no matter what side of this House of Commons one has a seat on.

Of course, when we refer to Parliament, we are referring to the three constituent parts: the House of Commons, the Senate and the monarch, who is represented by the Governor General. No bill can become law without each of these bodies playing a role: two legislative chambers, which must each pass the bill in the same form, and the Governor General, who gives royal assent in the monarch's name. New citizens, members of Parliament and senators, members of the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces, those who serve as members of legislative assemblies, and justices of provincial and federal courts are all examples of where the oath is sworn or affirmed to the monarch and to the heirs and successors. Government policy is carried out in the monarch's name and it has a duty to uphold the honour of the Crown.

Our oaths to Queen Elizabeth II and now to her heir and successor, King Charles III, are not to her as a person, but rather to her embodiment of the Crown as an institution, as a symbol of the Canadian state, the ship which continues to sail despite the occasional changing of captains.

She lived up to that embodiment with a life of service and duty. It is incredible when one thinks about it: 70 years on the throne. There were 15 British prime ministers, starting with Sir Winston Churchill, and of course 12 Canadian prime ministers, starting with Louis St-Laurent.

The world in 1952 was very different from the one we inhabit today. Much of Europe was still recovering from the brutality of World War II, and the Queen assumed her role as head of state to a Britain that was very unsure of its role in the world as the foundations of its empire were crumbling around it.

Canada at the time was also a very different country from the one it is today, and we were blessed by many visits from Queen Elizabeth over her reign. My colleagues will know me as a proud Vancouver Islander, and we were so very lucky to have her on seven different occasions. Victoria, the city of my birth, which is also named after a queen, will probably be recognized by those who have visited as one of the most royalist cities in all of Canada.

Probably the most significant occasion for Canada was on April 17, 1982, when the Queen signed the proclamation of the Constitution Act. That act achieved our country's full independence. It allowed us to change our Constitution without approval from Britain, and it enshrined our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which are used to this day as a guard against government overreach and against legislatures like our very own that overstep their bounds when creating laws.

Going forward, we also need the monarchy to address past injustices, and I say this in good faith to our new monarch. Many peoples around the world have a troubled history and relationship with the British Crown. My own last name shows a very clear link to Scotland, and there is a wide range of history on that.

More importantly, we need to talk about the legacy of colonialism. If one looks at the map of modern-day Africa, those straight lines drawn with the precision of a ruler were the result of imperial powers carving up the map.

As well, there is the British Crown's role in slavery and addressing that historical injustice. Importantly, here in Canada, there is the treatment of indigenous peoples. I am so very lucky to have had a conversation with an indigenous constituent just this last week to serve as a reminder of that troubled relationship with the Crown.

His Majesty King Charles III has an unparalleled opportunity to move the monarchy forward in a way that is acceptable and more relevant to today's generation. He acknowledged that on a recent trip to Canada, when he said this:

It has been deeply moving to have met survivors of residential schools who, with such courage, have shared their experiences. On behalf of my wife and myself, I want to acknowledge their suffering and to say how much our hearts go out to them and their families.

As King, he has an opportunity to go further. It is my sincerest hope that in his first visit to Canada as King, His Majesty Charles III will meet with indigenous elders across the country and listen to what they are saying.

In conclusion, heavy is the head that wears the Crown. Queen Elizabeth II wore it well, with duty, service and devotion. I will treasure her memory to our country. May she rest in peace.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we gather today under historic and sad circumstances at a moment of great uncertainty in the world.

Uncertainty, as we continue to cautiously observe the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on our reopened economies. Uncertainty, as Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has upset an already unstable political environment, threatening the lives of millions of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, and shocking our collective conscience.

There is uncertainty as the existential threat of climate change has already resulted in more severe weather, which is affecting our lives, challenging our recovery and threatening our communities. In short, we live in a world where the assumptions and conventions that we once took as a given continue to feel like they are being pulled out from under us.

It is, under these circumstances, a sad honour indeed to join fellow members of the House in paying tribute to the woman who was such a constant in our lived experiences, one whose destiny was deeply intertwined with that of our country.

As we celebrate the mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who was our late sovereign, I extend my personal condolences, and those of my family and all the residents of Edmonton Centre, to His Majesty King Charles III and all members of the royal family on the passing of Her Majesty.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952, becoming the head of state of the United Kingdom, Canada, and other realms. The world was deeply divided between the west and the Soviet Union, in a cold war that seemed ready to turn hot with the slightest provocation.

Parts of the world that had so far been ignored and exploited were gaining confidence and claiming their right to self-determination and self-government. The relatively new invention of television changed our way of seeing and understanding the world. Canada and its allies were just beginning to make essential reforms to our health care system and government services to improve opportunities for everyone.

What a difference a life makes.

Personally, I will always remember the experience of Her Majesty's visit to Edmonton in 2005. I had the opportunity of seeing Her Majesty and listening to her speak in person in my home city. I remember so clearly how she expressed her love of Canada and for Canadians, and how every single time she set foot in our country, she felt at home again.

It was the same love and adoration she expressed on many visits to our country throughout her reign. Indeed, over the last 70 years, Her Majesty participated in, and bore witness to, some of our most significant accomplishments and our greatest challenges, from the existential challenges of two sovereignty referendums to the patriation of our Constitution, including the enshrining of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and from the decriminalization of homosexuality to the celebration of marriage equality, the legal protection of trans and gender-diverse people and the banning of conversion therapy. She saw the growing recognition of the injustices and cultural genocides that mark our legacy with first nations, Inuit and Métis people.

There was the creation of the Commonwealth and the joy and hope of our 100th and 150th anniversaries.

She saw the world's collective horror at the events of September 11 and the ongoing struggle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the whole of our collective experiences, exciting and tragic, inspiring and devastating, she was there. Her presence was a constant assurance that our institutions would hold, that our democracy, our House of Commons, which guides the functioning of our state from the rule of law to the power of the people, would hold through sunshine and storm, through celebrations and challenges.

Through it all, our institutions did hold and we, as a people, held together and grew stronger together.

Indeed, with the exception of my late father, Rowley, there is no member of my family, or that of my partner David's family, who can remember any other person as our head of state. Three generations of my family have only known a world where our head of state was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As I said, this is true for my partner David, my mother Shirley, my brother Mark, my sister-in-law Leanne, and for my nephews and niece Ethan, Skyler and Andrew.

I will share a story with the House and my colleagues. My youngest nephew, Andrew, is now 14 and a half years old and is starting to wake up to the world, politics and what is going on around him. When I picked up my phone, which was in the lockbox when we learned of the passing of Her Majesty, the first text I saw was from Andrew. The text in our family group chat read, “Uncle Randy, the Queen has died. What does this mean?” That was the implication in his question. My immediate response was, “Andrew, we are all still trying to figure that out ourselves”, but I responded, “We are now in mourning, and on the Queen's watch Canada became a great country. The Queen is dead. Long live the King.”

When I next get to see Andrew in person, we will chat about the continuation of government and the processes and traditions that are in place to keep our work moving, and we will probably talk about his new motorcycle. However, the fact that he is thinking about the Queen's role and our role as a constitutional monarchy at the age of 14 says something about where he is on his own journey into adulthood.

I share with many in this place, across the country and around the world a deep feeling that embodies the legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Through it all, she was there, and it became easy at times to think she always would be.

She lived her life with a deep devotion to duty and a profound commitment to service, a responsibility that was placed on her at such a young age and which she accepted with dignity and grace.

Perhaps by now we have seen the video, replayed over the last many days, of a young Elizabeth, just 21 years old, who looked the world in the eye and gave her solemn oath that the whole of her life, whether long or short, would be dedicated to service, that the nations would be her only focus and that those nations would become the Commonwealth. It is a promise that she kept, an oath that she fulfilled.

Now we say thank you.

I am grateful to this extraordinary woman for everything she did.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise in the House on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. It is unfortunate, though, that it is on this occasion that I rise to remember the 96 years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. That being said, I am honoured to rise on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo to mark the Queen's passing.

I take this opportunity to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II and offer my deepest condolences to the royal family and to loved ones. In many instances, this is the only monarch that Canadians will have known. That is certainly the case for me at 43 years old; it is the case for just about everybody in my family, save my 98-year-old grandmother.

We must remember that the Queen took the throne at just 25 years old, and as I reflected on that I reflected on who I was at 25 years old. I was just in my first year of law school. I had just met my wife, and I do not know that I was even ready to be a lawyer, a parliamentarian or even a husband at that point. I was certainly not ready to be a father, and I was not ready for all the world had in store for me, yet at just 25 years of age the Queen displayed the dignity and grace that would mark her reign, a reign we will not soon forget.

We heard earlier today about the Queen's special relationship with Canada. Queen Elizabeth II toured Canada 20 times over 70 years. Remarkably, she visited Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo four times in her life. First, in 1939, she visited as Princess Elizabeth, and then again in 1951, shortly after her teen years, when she was still Princess Elizabeth. In 1959 and 1971, she visited as Queen Elizabeth. Many still remember those visits to Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. Her most lengthy stay was in 1959, a visit which saw her and Prince Philip greeted by some reported 30,000 people in our riding. When I think back on it, believe Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo would have been still divided as North Kamloops and Kamloops proper at that time.

A young Alba Spina, my mother, would have been nine years old, and as I recall the Queen's pathway took her along Tranquille Road, which was about a block away from where my mother grew up on Poplar Avenue in North Kamloops. My mom reminded me of going to see the Queen that visit, all the people who were present and what a big deal it was as the Queen passed what would later become Our Lady of Perpetual Help, my elementary school.

This is a memory she will not forget. This is a memory that some 30,000 people in Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo will probably never forgot. That Queen Elizabeth would take the time to process down Tranquille Road in North Kamloops at the time speaks to her outreach to all Canadians.

As most know, my prior career was as a Crown prosecutor. As a former Crown prosecutor, I always emphasize the Crown, and there was a special relationship with the monarchy in my capacity as Crown council. I remember I was conducting a sex assault trial, and I made a fairly pivotal decision that had to be made. It was consistent with what my ethical obligations were at the time, and I was approached by the defence lawyer. He said he wanted to tell me that I really did the honour of the Crown that day.

As I prepared my speech, I reflected on what that meant. What is the honour of the Crown? The honour of the Crown, in my view, is doing the right thing. It is doing things with dignity and doing things with integrity, all qualities that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II exemplified. It is hard to imagine a future without Her Majesty the Queen.

When I speak about my former career as a lawyer, I think about the magnitude of the patriation of the Constitution Act of 1982 and the schedule of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and how that changed the lives of all Canadians and how it really changed the lives of all litigators, especially lawyers in criminal law, the area in which I practised and taught at Thompson Rivers University's Faculty of Law.

Queen Elizabeth II set a standard of leadership for generations to come, and it is hard to fathom that she led people through 70 years of service. She was a calming influence through every major event the world has witnessed over the past 70 years. Let us not forget that she witnessed the establishment of the United Nations, watched the moon landing and led through conflicts such as the Korean War, the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gulf War, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, the largest conflict in Europe since she served in the military in World War II.

It is difficult to overstate Queen Elizabeth II's impact on Canada during these trying times. In our day-to-day life, we do not often think about the impact she had on our lives, but it was in difficult times that she would offer a word of comfort to Canadians. Her messages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic are the most recent examples of her uncanny ability to give us all a sense of peace in times of tribulation.

Looking back on her life, I am reminded, in my capacity as shadow minister for veterans affairs, of her work and training as a mechanic in World War II. Queen Elizabeth II could have watched from a distance as a young woman, but her character called her into service. Leaders lead, and she took the opportunity to lead when it presented itself, when her country, the United Kingdom, was at war.

We are grateful to Queen Elizabeth for her innumerable contributions to our country and system of government, having personally granted royal assent to the Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It was a life well lived. May eternal light shine upon Queen Elizabeth II. May Her Majesty rest in peace. May God save the King.

[Kevin Vuong, Independent, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a privilege to rise in the House, but it is a special honour to do so to pay tribute to Her late Majesty and extend my condolences to the royal family.

For so many Canadians, myself included, Her late Majesty was the only queen we have ever known, but she was more than a widely loved and respected sovereign. She represented stability in a country that grows increasingly chaotic and in a world that grows increasingly chaotic. She espoused a profound sense of humility in an era of self-aggrandizing, and she was a stalwart defender of democracy and the rule of law in an age of rising autocracy.

Speaking to friends and family, I noted that so many were surprised at the sense of personal loss we felt. The impact has been profound, because I think it is like losing a grandparent. It was deeply personal, and when it comes to losing a grandparent, it is something we know will happen one day but hope will be a long time from now. We never really expect it.

There is not much I can say that has not already be shared, but I can tell members from personal experience that there could be hundreds of people in the room, but she would make us feel like the only one there. She was incredibly attentive and as funny as she was kind, compassionate and gracious beyond words.

I am especially grateful that I had the opportunity to meet her during her reign, in 2017, when at Her late Majesty's command, I marked Canada's sesquicentennial by joining young leaders from across the Commonwealth in the U.K. It was at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace, where we were appointed medallists of Her late Majesty. I had the distinct honour of being named Her Majesty the Queen's Young Leader for Canada.

I still recall being there in Buckingham Palace, with all of the pomp and circumstance, wracked with fear about whether or not I would mess up all of the protocol we were required to remember when we met the Queen, things like ensuring we do not turn our backs to her, that we wait for her to extend her hand first and that she speaks first.

I imagine that some people listening are thinking that, of course, they could do those basic and easy things. I would agree with them, until they are about to meet the Queen. Then it all goes out the window. It did not help that during our briefings, leaders would recount all the times they froze up or were speechless. Suffice it to say, I was nervous.

I was wearing my high-collar navy whites and had practised marching in, left turning and then saluting. Then I was told that, actually, we were to throw all that out the window when meeting the Queen and just do a quick head bow. So here was this kid in his mid-20s out of the suburbs of Toronto scared out of his mind trying to remember all of these basic, straightforward protocol requirements, all while my brain was screaming, “Oh my God. There's the Queen. Holy smokes.” Well, I used another word, but I am not allowed to repeat it in this place. Obviously, I was nervous.

To try to settle my nerves, I looked away at the crowd. “Do a quick scan of the room”, I thought. There were hundreds of people in the room, so that did not exactly help. However, as I was doing it, I spotted Prince Harry, who was at my two o'clock sitting in the front row. I guess His Royal Highness could sense my nervousness, so he gave me a supportive head nod and a wink as if to say “Hey, you've got this.” He was right.

I approached Her Majesty, I bowed, she extended her hand first, of course, and I did so in response. She said, “Congratulations” and handed me my medal. Now, I figured that was probably the end of it, but she asked me to tell her what I do. To put it in context, we were being recognized for the work we did in our communities back home and I was nominated for my work. I had the privilege of working with amazing at-risk youth and indigenous communities in northwestern and southwestern Ontario, including the incredible community of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation.

I mentioned that I work with youth in different communities. She said, “Huh” and I thought, “She's interested”, so I told her about it. She said it was all very fascinating and asked me to tell her more, so I did. We ended up speaking for about a minute or two, which I am told, in Queen terms, is actually a really long time. As I said earlier, she had an extraordinary ability to make me feel like I was the only person in the room.

At the end of the conversation, she extended her hand. The handshake is meant to bookend the conversation, but I imagine there are some people who are so enamoured with meeting the Queen that they might not get the message. When she comes out to shake someone's hand, we cannot tell when watching in person, because I was there watching her do it to others, or on TV that she actually pushes the person away. It is kind of like, “Okay, Kevin, it was nice talking to you. Off you go now, little one.” I have to say that for a then 91-year-old woman, that was a strong push, and today I have the distinct pleasure of being able to tell people that I met the Queen, she gave me a medal and then she pushed me away. All joking aside, I am forever grateful that I had this opportunity. It is a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

To conclude, twice I have sworn an oath of allegiance to Her late Majesty, first in 2015 when I joined Her Majesty's Royal Canadian Navy and again last year as a member of Parliament. In that oath, we commit to faithfully serving her and her heirs and successors. With the ascension to the throne of His Majesty King Charles III, I, like all members of this House, will continue my service, both in and out of uniform, to our sovereign.

Long live the King.

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, it is with tremendous sadness and profound respect that I rise today to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who passed away one week ago following 70 remarkable years as Queen of Canada. Like so many of us, until last week I too had only known one sovereign. As I prepared my remarks for today I reflected on her constant presence in my life, so I would like to begin with some personal reminiscences before moving on.

Unbeknownst to either the Queen or me, we first crossed paths at Expo 67, I as a one-year-old child in my mother's arms and she as a 41-year-old monarch on her fifth visit to Canada, her fourth visit as our Queen.

We crossed paths again on the occasion of Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee in 1977. As an 11-year-old, I was living in Edinburgh with my parents and sisters that year. My grade 5 class at Sciennes Primary School made elaborate commemorative costumes out of paper and we stood in a group at the side of her parade route along Edinburgh's Royal Mile as she passed. She returned our excited waves with great warmth and with a happy smile.

Her presence was next felt in 2008 at my grandmother's 100th birthday party in Berwick, Nova Scotia. As a loyal British subject having been born in County Durham, let us try to imagine my grandmother's delight at her celebration to find at the bottom of her stack of cards a personalized birthday letter from the Queen whom she loved so very much.

In 2010, Her Majesty launched what was to be her final visit to Canada in Halifax, my riding. Accompanied by Prince Philip, she observed the Royal Canadian Navy's centenary by reviewing in her role as commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces a flotilla of international naval ships in Halifax harbour. It is a day that I and all Haligonians shall never forget.

Our final intersection came at Christmas 2015, my first as an MP. As a rookie on Parliament Hill, I was pleasantly surprised by how many people whom I had never met were sending me Christmas cards. Figuring this was perhaps expected of me too, I followed suit and sent Christmas cards to many prominent individuals, including one to the Queen. Much to my delight, by the time we returned to Ottawa after the Christmas recess, there tucked into a pile of mail was a letter stamped with the Queen's royal cypher. The message inside was warm, personalized and printed on Buckingham Palace letterhead and brought a thrill to me and my entire staff.

At any of those earlier points of intersection over so many years, if someone had suggested to me that one day I would swear allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II as a member of Canada's Parliament, I would not have believed it, but three times now I have sworn that I would be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To Her late Majesty, I hope and I believe that I have discharged my oath to the very best of my abilities.

Why have I shared these personal stories? I have shared them because countless Canadians have stories just like these. They are small moments that connect us to a monarch whom we may never have actually met but who earned our admiration and our affection through her steady, dutiful service. Indeed, many Nova Scotians' memories will include seeing Her Majesty on one of her five royal tours to our province, including four to Halifax out of her 22 visits to Canada, the country that she visited more than any other.

Perhaps they were among the 50,000 people who greeted her at the train station in Halifax during her first trip to Canada in 1951 as a 24-year-old princess. Maybe they were a veteran at Camp Hill hospital where she visited on that same trip. Possibly they had the honour of being inspected by Her Majesty during a visit to the Royal Canadian Navy base in Halifax, or they met her at the Bengal Lancers horse riding school during her first trip as Queen in 1959. Perhaps they were residents of Halifax's Northwood seniors home where the Queen visited in 1979, or at the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1994. Maybe it was that final visit to Canada that I referenced earlier where, on a rainy day on Citadel Hill in the heart of downtown Halifax, she memorably said:

My mother once said that this country felt like home away from home for the Queen of Canada.... I am pleased to report that it still does. My pride in this country remains undimmed. It is good to be home.

As the Queen has been part of our individual lives in big and small ways over the past seven decades, so too has she been present for some of the most defining moments in the life of our nation. Most notably, in 1982, along with the Prime Minister's father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, she participated in the signing of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, bringing the Constitution home to Canada.

I believe history will look back on the Queen as a stabilizing force throughout an era of incredible change. The world today looks very different than it did 70 years ago and while we have made significant progress, our work remains unfinished.

Canada’s parliamentary democracy, inherited from the motherland, and our constitutional monarchy make Canada’s system of government one of the most stable in the world. I believe that Queen Elizabeth II, in her role as Queen of Canada, has played an important role in securing our confidence in that system and in its success.

With that in mind, the Crown now passes to King Charles III, who has pledged to renew his mother’s lifelong service to the Commonwealth. I renew to him the oath of service I took for his mother. As His Majesty begins this new journey, may we all wish him well. Long live the King.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today on behalf of the citizens of my riding of Red Deer—Mountain View to reflect upon the tremendous reign of our late Queen.

I was deeply saddened by the news of the passing of our Queen and sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Princess Elizabeth was but a year younger than my late mother. My father would always quip that he too had a princess who had become a queen, just like the people of the British Empire. He made it clear to us boys just how fortunate we were and how important it was that we treat our mother accordingly.

The fact that the princess could fix a vehicle, drive a truck and would serve in her country's military during wartime just emphasized her skills and dedication. When she acceded to the throne at such an early age, her vast knowledge and abilities made her even more impressive. So it was that I heard many stories about the life and times of our Queen Elizabeth.

The one-room schoolhouse that my great-grandfather had helped build had been replaced by a Second World War army barrack a few years prior to my grade 1 year. At the front of the room was a portrait of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. We sang both O Canada and God Save the Queen. It was so natural for us and we felt this special bond daily.

As I grew older and learned more about Canada and our system of government, my interests turned to the Queen's representatives in Alberta, the lieutenant governors, many of whom I have had the pleasure of meeting over my lifetime: the Honourable Percy Page; Grant MacEwan; Ralph Steinhauer; Charles Lynch-Staunton; Helen Hunley; a former MP from Red Deer, the Honourable Gordon Towers; Bud Olson; Lois Hole; Norman Kwong; Donald Ethell; my dear friend, the Honourable Lois Mitchell; as well as our present Lieutenant Governor, Salmi Lakhani.

I also truly respected the vice-regal occupants at Rideau Hall. Canada's governors general, over Her Majesty's reign, included the Right Honourable Vincent Massey, Georges Vanier, central Alberta's Roland Michener, Jules Léger, Ed Schreyer, Jeanne Sauvé, Ramon Hnatyshyn, Roméo LeBlanc, Adrienne Clarkson, Michaëlle Jean, David Johnston, whom I got to know very well over his term in office, Julie Payette, and our present Governor General, Mary Simon.

For many of us, these people may now just be pictures on the walls of our respective legislatures, but their purpose was to represent Her Majesty on behalf of the people in her realm, and they did that with honour. Not only did these representatives give their hearts and souls to serving us, but their spouses and families brought so much to the offices as well. As all of us in this House know that no one survives in public office without the support of family.

This was uppermost in the minds of my wife Judy and me on our drive to Calgary last Thursday. We were driving to the memorial service for a dear friend, the late Doug Mitchell, husband of the Honourable Lois Mitchell, Alberta's 18th lieutenant governor, when we heard the news of the Queen's passing. She had just sworn in the U.K.'s new prime minister two days before, so even though she was at an advanced age it was still so unexpected. At the memorial ceremony there was an extra sense of sadness and finality as speaker after speaker spoke of the unique connection of Alberta's vice-regal family and that of our late Queen.

I say this as I turn back to my thoughts on the legacy of our Queen Elizabeth, because there was never any doubt that her late husband, His Royal Highness the late Prince Philip, was always by Her Majesty's side and truly made a difference to her as she served her nation and the Commonwealth.

The royal family, and in particular the Queen, have always had a special place in the hearts of Albertans. I was there on that rainy day at the Commonwealth Stadium as the Queen and Premier Klein presented to the crowd, celebrating Alberta's centennial in 2005. It was amazing. Later, as an elected official, I had the privilege to meet Prince Edward during a Duke of Edinburgh award ceremony, Prince William and Princess Kate at the Calgary Stampede, and to stand by as my wife and the Queen exchanged pleasantries when Her Majesty last visited Ottawa.

I generally appreciated each encounter and will always speak highly of the experience. Perhaps I still hear my father's voice.

As Queen Elizabeth surpassed all milestones of service, I think I had overlooked the reality of what the monarchy would be like after she was gone.

In 2012, Canadians showed such pride in our history and celebrated the special bond that existed between Queen Elizabeth and our nation. The Diamond Jubilee medals that celebrated her 60 years on the throne were presented to our fellow citizens for their exemplary service to our nation. It meant so much to so many people. In celebration of her 70 years on the throne, I encouraged grade 6 students within Red Deer—Mountain View to write essays about that one special person in their lives that reminded them of the service and love of humanity best exemplified by Queen Elizabeth II. There were so many beautiful sentiments and such great thoughtfulness expressed by these wonderful students.

What about the reality that we now face? Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch I have known. It is her place in history within the centuries of tradition that I now reflect upon. It is from those reflections that I am now looking forward to the promise of the reign of King Charles III. His responsibilities will be immense, but he has had the greatest of role models.

One of those responsibilities is as head of the Church of England, which has been the foundation of the monarchy for centuries. As such, it has always had a prominent place in my local community of Pine Lake. The historic Holy Trinity Anglican Church is one of many local churches across the country that displays the names of community members who served and died for King and country in the two world wars. My hope is that never again will we need to display the names of young men and women in that same fashion on those walls in the name of any monarch.

One can only pray for strength and wisdom for ourselves and our new King to serve our nation both wisely in peace but firmly in conflict. What better legacy to follow than that of the young Princess who started her journey in service in her war-torn nation and, as Queen, guided it through so many decades with compassion and grace. Princess Elizabeth said, in 1947 on the occasion of her 21st birthday:

I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

We are so thankful that her life was long. Long live the King.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to almost all the speeches today, whether from here in my seat in this House of Parliament or behind the curtain when I had to step out. I found so many of the speeches erudite and touching.

I learned about history. I learned about the history of our great nation. I learned about the history of democracy. I learned about the history of the Commonwealth. I shared in the wisdom of the words of Queen Elizabeth II that were quoted by different members. I also learned about regional histories, about parts of this country where Loyalists settled. I learned about their attachment to the monarchy, the values that the monarchy represented to them and the values that they brought to this great country of ours.

We also heard many personal stories.

These were stories of ordinary life, stories told by people, by individuals, not about major events but about things they care about.

I heard many stories told by individual MPs about their brushes with the Queen, with royal visits, with meeting the Queen, and of course we have all read stories like the one that was repeated today and I read in The Globe and Mail last week. It was about Catherine Clark and how she knew she could not leave a reception until the Queen left, and how they marched off together, arm in arm. It is a very touching story that, no doubt, is extremely dear to Ms. Clark.

I also read, in the paper, recollections and anecdotes from Prime Minister Mulroney, who spoke about how he spent a very long stretch with the Queen around a very informal lunch at 24 Sussex. How wonderful that memory must be for Mr. Mulroney and his wife Mila.

Of course, we all know that the Queen had a soft spot for Prime Minister Chrétien. We could see it, in fact, on her face. Whenever we see a photo of the Queen meeting Mr. Chrétien, she is beaming. He was no doubt one of her favourite people in the world.

Like all, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch I have known. She has been a constant for me as she has been for countless others. She represents, and this has been mentioned many times in speeches, the bedrock of our constitutional democracy. She represents the constancy of our democracy. Like all here in the House, I deeply appreciate our constitutional democracy. I appreciate its separation of the role of head of state from that of head of government, which provides us with a sense, as has been said by so many, that the institutions are much greater than those who may occupy those institutions at any one period of time, and that our democracy is much stronger than the partisan conflicts that arise from time to time, which, of course, are part of democracy. We have the sense that there is something overarching these political debates and these partisan debates.

I also appreciate, as I am sure so many others in the House do, that Canada, and we cannot separate the history of the Crown from the history of Canada, was not born of violence and revolution. Yes, there has been violence in our past and there has been oppression. These past wrongs need to be addressed, but essentially Canada evolved. It adapted.

That capacity to adapt, that ethic of adapting rather than pushing for violent breaks with the past, I believe, has a lot to do with the Crown and the wisdom of the Crown. We saw this, in fact. It is very important to understand that while Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II did not have legislative power, military power or the power of financial markets, she had the power of moral suasion, the power of the wisdom that she acquired over a lifetime.

I was reading in the paper, related by former prime minister Brian Mulroney, how she supported his policy to end apartheid. As we know, Prime Minister Thatcher was not on the same side as Mr. Mulroney in this historical initiative. The Queen offered her wisdom to Mr. Mulroney and supported him in his quest to end apartheid. We also heard about how the Quebec Act allowed for the peaceful evolution of our nation, a peaceful evolution that respected people's rights. The Crown has been very instrumental in this capacity of our democracy to adapt peacefully.

This goes back to my point, which I just mentioned, that we have heard a lot in the speeches about how the Queen must have so many stories. I know what people mean by that and I revel in that thought, but it is more than stories. She has been more than an observer in history because she has had access to first-hand knowledge and information, intelligence, if we want to call it that. She would have consulted and been consulted by those making very important decisions, so she has been more than an observer. She has been an actor, an actor without the power that we associate with political power but an actor with the power of persuasion, and that is very important. That has been very important in the evolution of our country and the evolution of the Commonwealth.

Of course, in addition to all of this, Her Majesty the Queen embodied certain values and virtues that we can call personal values and virtues, the values of graciousness and kindness, virtues that, quite frankly, are still relevant today and can continue to inform us and produce a more harmonious world, including more harmonious politics.

She was a bedrock presence in our lives and we will miss her. I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to all members of the royal family, all the people of Britain and all those around the world who had an emotional connection with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the people of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, I offer my condolences to the royal family and all those who are mourning the loss of their beloved Queen.

On September 8, 2022, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, passed away and left a legacy of a service spanning generations. Her Majesty's reign spanned 70 years, something no other monarch has accomplished. For most Canadians, she is the only monarch they have ever known.

At the age of 21, Elizabeth pledged her life to serving others, which she did for five years before unexpectedly becoming Queen. She more than fulfilled that promise and instilled the importance of duty in others until she passed away. For her work, effort, dedication and humility, Her Majesty is credited for being one of the greatest supporters of charity work in the world.

From joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945, to raising $2.2 billion for charities in the United Kingdom and supporting more than 3,000 international organizations, the Queen impacted the lives of people around the world, but her volunteerism and support were not limited to humans. Her Majesty's love of animals is well known. Horses and dogs, particularly Pembroke Welsh corgis, of which she raised 30, also benefited from her kindness.

In assessing her responsibilities as monarch, the Queen stated that service is the most important part of her job. I agree with her sentiment, and as public servants we must follow her example.

I recently had the privilege of recognizing and thanking, in her name, 70 community volunteers in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, in celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. At this ceremony, recipients received a commemorative medallion and Canadian Platinum Jubilee lapel pin, a special memento in honour of Her Majesty being the first monarch in British history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.

Platinum is a heavy, yet soft, precious, silver white metal. It is certainly a befitting comparison to a monarch whose reign spanned seven decades and included a world war, diverse economic times, personal tragedy, and much personal sacrifice. The Queen's resilience through it all showed her enduring spirit and steadfast dedication to the vows she took and the people she served. In her 70th year as sovereign, her willingness to deflect the spotlight off herself to include other worthy servants said much about her humility.

The Queen loved Canada and Canada loved her back. God bless the Queen. May she rest in peace. It will not be the same without her.

Long live the King, and God bless Canada.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Speaker, with profound sadness I am here to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

However, on a positive note, I first want to note the 18th anniversary of Melanie Namespetra, who has worked with me on the Hill as a constituency assistant and legislative assistant. We have had a whole series of wonderful moments over 18 years of my 20 years here. I want to thank her and her family for all the work they have done on behalf of Windsor, Ontario, Essex and Canada.

I want to offer my condolences to the royal family. The Queen was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother. The royal family is certainly going through a lot of emotions, even recognizing the fact that it has to share this moment with the entire planet. It is very difficult doing so in the public eye. I wish them the best during this difficult time.

I also want to thank Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor. Our mayor is showing leadership in including the public. There will be a public viewing of the Queen's funeral at 5:45 a.m. on September 19 outdoors at City Hall Square. I want to thank Mayor Drew Dilkens for doing that. As well, there will be a public memorial service at All Saints' Anglican Church at 6 p.m. It is right next to that area. People are asked to RSVP for that.

Of particular note, it will be led by the Essex and Kent Scottish regiment to recognize that this year is the 80th year since Dieppe. The Essex and Kent Scottish regiment played a leading part in those operations and suffered significant losses in their duty during the Second World War. I will talk a bit about that now, with regard to the Queen as well as connections as to why this is important for our country and our Parliament.

I will share a little about my experiences too. I had the chance to meet the Queen in Toronto. I will talk a bit about that later.

I want to note that some of my family came from England. We grew up at the kitchen table hearing experiences about what took place during the war, what took place with the royal family and a number of different connections. My biological grandfather was John Clifford Addison. I did not know him. I have his medals, his soccer medals and war medals. He died on the HMS Scorpion in the fall of Burma.

It was lucky that my grandmother, Irene Attwood, was able to marry Fred Attwood. He served in the Royal Navy on the Ark Royal and the MacCallum. My grandmother, Irene, and my mother, Jean Masse, Jean Attwood at that time, survived the bombing raids in London. My mother just gifted me last year a scrapbook of the Queen that she made during that time and during her teen years.

There are lots of papers and news articles going back to the start, 70 years ago, that were published in the British papers, official programmes and so forth. I will be sharing them on the 16th on my social media. I took some pictures of them.

It is interesting, through the eyes of my mother at that time, to see all the work that went into this collection of materials. I think that experience was translated later on with better understanding. Fred Atwood was a merchant and I mentioned he served in the Royal Navy. He spent a lot of time serving his country, but he came to Canada.

I grew up with big band music playing in the background sitting at the kitchen table with my grandmother making scones and having tea and talking about life in England. Recognizing Her Majesty's commitment during wartime was part of the discussions. It was a continuation of the life they had in England which extended over into Canada.

It is important that we recognize the duration of Her Majesty's tenure. It lasted so long. During her 70-year reign there were 179 individuals who served as her prime ministers, including 15 British and 12 Canadian prime ministers. Her first British prime minister, Winston Churchill, was born in 1874. The last British prime minister to be appointed by the Queen was Liz Truss, who was born 101 years later, in 1975. She was appointed by the Queen just two days before her death.

As I mentioned, I had the chance to meet Her Royal Highness when she visited Toronto. As a child, I was in Windsor, Ontario, when the Queen visited. Like many of my age, we were on the side of the road as she drove by and waved. It was an interesting experience as a kid.

Later on, the Queen participated in a number of ceremonies in Windsor. Obviously, with a name like Windsor, there is a connection that is very strong. As well, we are a border city that fought significantly in the War of 1812. We are also the place of the Underground Railroad. When the British Empire finally got rid of slavery, many people came to our area for freedom from the United States. There was a recognition that it was a better place. Slavery is still one of those issues that languishes. I am hoping that the new King recognizes some of the suffering that still takes place from the awful state of slavery over generations. However, we have those connections.

Later on, it was Jack Layton who was supposed to attend a luncheon for the Queen at the Royal York. Jack, the former member for Toronto—Danforth, could not make it, so I got the call to represent him. It was a 90°C summer day, and I was staying at a hotel. I will try to describe it so that people get an idea of what one goes through.

For people who do not know me, I am not a very formal person. A tuxedo was required. I am not very good at protocol either. However, for me to get into a tuxedo was an accomplishment in itself, let alone doing it during a blackout, which took place at that time. I had to go down the hotel stairs, 11 storeys in 90°C weather, walk over to the Royal York where about 100 guests huddled in the dark.

At the time, we were to meet the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. We were sent a protocol sheet, which was much needed for people like me, to know what to expect. We were to get in line, and when our turn came, we would walk to the Queen, do a certain type of greeting and then move to His Royal Highness. We would then move to another room for the event.

Well, I am terrible at protocol. I got the right greeting for the Queen but when I got to His Royal Highness, I froze, and people were behind me. I said, “Hey man”, and he smiled and laughed, and then I moved on. The moment was kind of special, because I was there to try to be as respectful of the protocol as possible, but it did not matter.

We then moved to the next room for lunch where the Queen spoke. It was interesting, because she talked about Canada. She did not talk about anything other than Canada. She talked about the visits she had made across our country, whether it be the Northwest Territories, British Columbia or the east coast. She mentioned Windsor as well. We had that type of exchange and then the event was over. It was interesting, because I had grown up with this at the kitchen table.

Another interesting thing is that she was the most travelled world leader, having travelled to 117 countries and almost 56 Commonwealth nations. She was also the first monarch to visit West Germany, China, South Africa and other African nations and almost every corner of Canada during her 22 visits. Listening to someone with that type of experience is always interesting in itself, and then having these different connections was really important. I think the kind of common element in what was taking place in Canada was very special.

As I mentioned, her reign was not perfect. One of the things that I am hoping to see is some reconciliation with our first nations. I am hoping that King Charles III does that and will recognize that there has to be more, which is necessary to have reconciliation. It is one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's points, and I am looking forward to that. I think it would help not only myself but maybe young Canadians as well as we try to move forward with a connection to the monarchy in our country, but it needs to come with recognition of what has taken place in the past.

In closing, I send my condolences to the royal family.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is always an honour and a privilege to rise in this chamber and represent the voices of those in Chatham-Kent—Leamington, particularly in this solemn hour and on this day of tribute.

I have only known one sovereign. In fact, over 90% of Canadians have only known one sovereign: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Last night, before boarding the plane to come to Ottawa, I stopped and visited with my parents. They are in their late eighties, so they are part of the 10% cohort who has known two monarchs. They reflected back on the death of King George VI and on the coronation of then Princess Elizabeth, and they recalled the national sadness followed by the pageantry of coronation. I think many of us are also feeling some of those emotions today.

As a child in school, I recall singing God Save the Queen, and that anthem concludes with the following statement:

Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen.

Well, long did she reign, the longest in the history of the British monarchy. While intuitively we all knew she was not immortal and her death would come, it still comes as a shock, as most of us have always lived with the assumption she was a permanent fixture in our lives.

Her Majesty knew she was not immortal, as she requested the help of her creator and acknowledged her service to him as she took the oath of service to country and Commonwealth at the beginning of her reign almost 70 years ago. This legacy of service, of duty, is what has come to define her reign. While in theory holding ultimate power, she fully understood her role in a constitutional monarchy, where the true power lies in a country's people. In practice, by wielding ceremonial power through leadership by example, she actually had enormous influence, providing the example we should all follow.

Her Majesty's calm and assured voice, her measured tone and her dignified demeanor remained a beacon of stability through many turbulent times in her country, within the Commonwealth, in this world and, yes, even within her own family. Her Majesty was a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, and it is to her family, the royal family, that I wish to convey my sincerest condolences.

Today we hear much about freedom, but freedom should never be separated from duty. Today we hear much about our rights, but our rights should never be separated from our responsibilities. Our freedoms do not stand in isolation without the duty of a country's citizens to serve. Freedom is not free. Our individual rights are not sustained or sustainable unless we acknowledge and respect our responsibilities to each other and to the collective whole.

Our Constitution is based on this relationship of freedom and duty, of individual rights and responsibilities. Her Majesty's life of devotion, service to country and duty to the Commonwealth inspired many and embodied the intertwined codependency of freedom and duty, of rights and responsibilities and of service and humility.

It was therefore an honour this past summer for me, as a member of Parliament, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of her reign, her Platinum Jubilee, by bestowing platinum pins for service to community, or, said another way, for responsibilities demonstrated to the whole, on residents of Chatham-Kent—Leamington who have emulated the life of service exemplified by Her Majesty. It is these very citizens whose voices I have the privilege of bringing to this chamber.

May Her Majesty rest in peace and may she rise in glory. Long live the King, King Charles III. May God bless Canada.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Madam Speaker, today we are here to commemorate Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and Canada’s longest-serving head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen lived a long life of duty, stability and public service and was an enduring and steadfast presence on the world stage throughout her seven decades as Queen.

I rise today to express my deepest condolences to the royal family as they mourn the loss of their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Experiencing the death of a loved one is never an easy process, and I hope that as they reflect on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, they can find comfort in the memories of the many moments they shared together. Serving for over 70 years, there is no doubt that Queen Elizabeth II made her mark on this world and in our collective history.

The Queen acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, after the death of her father, taking on this enormous responsibility while in her twenties. On the global stage, many described her as hard-working and dedicated, always observing her duty to serve. In 1945, during World War II, she became the first woman in the royal family to serve as a full active member of the British Armed Forces when she joined the women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, working as a mechanic and truck driver before rising to the rank of junior commander. Up until her passing, she was the only living current head of state who served in the Second World War.

She later made headlines in 2003 when she drove the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on a tour of the Queen's castle, perceived as a statement at a time when women did not even have the right to drive in Saudi Arabia. Then, in 2011, the Queen oversaw a change to succession laws that meant sons and daughters of any future British monarch would have equal rights to the throne.

The Queen was well known for her commitment to supporting charity and humanitarian efforts around the globe. She had relationships with over 500 charities, professional bodies and public service organizations, helping to raise over $2 billion for over 600 non-profits during her reign, more than any monarch in history. Organizations she supported included the Red Cross, the Royal College of Nursing and the Disaster Emergency Committee. Queen Elizabeth II was the royal patron to several Canadian charities as well, raising awareness and bringing recognition to the work of these important organizations, including the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Canadian Cancer Society, Save the Children Canada and the Canadian Nurses Association.

As we are a Commonwealth country, the Queen had a special significance to Canada. For the past 70 years, the Queen influenced Canadian history in ways that will continue to be felt into the future.

She was known to refer to Canada as “home”. In describing Canada, she once stated, “I am sure that nowhere under the sun could one find a land more full of hope, of happiness and of fine, loyal, generous-hearted people.” Several notable Canadians attended her coronation on June 2, 1953, including former prime minister Louis St. Laurent, former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas and Chief Joe Mathias from the Squamish Nation.

As the Queen to Canada, her reign extended over the mandates of 12 Canadian prime ministers and 13 governors general. Several of her 22 visits to Canada occurred at critical junctures in Canada's history.

Her first official visit as Queen to Canada was in 1957. On October 14, 1957, she became the first sovereign to open a session of Canadian parliament in person and delivered the throne speech. In 1964, she attended the centennial of two pre-Confederation conferences in Charlottetown and Quebec City. A year later, she signed the royal proclamation that gave Canada its new maple leaf flag. She also took part in the opening ceremonies of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

In 1982, she returned to Canada for the proclamation of the Constitution to sign Canada’s constitutional proclamation. This enshrined the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and gave Canada independence over its Constitution. It also recognized the treaty rights of indigenous peoples under section 35, an important milestone for the legal recognition of indigenous rights in Canada.

The Queen also visited my home province, British Columbia, seven times in her life. As princess, she visited a Vancouver East landmark, the Pacific National Exhibition, in 1951, and then the Empire Stadium in 1959 as Queen. Hockey fans may remember her visit during the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, when she dropped the puck at a Vancouver NHL game. These moments help explain the way in which the Queen is embedded in many Canadians' national imagery and socio-cultural traditions.

Our nation's past and present are institutionally tied to the British Crown. For the last 70 years, no legislation has become federal law without Her Majesty's approval through the process of royal assent. To many Canadians, including myself, she is the only head of state we have known, and while we may not think about the British Crown on a daily basis, as we mourn her passing, it also invites a moment of reflection. As the member of Parliament for Vancouver East, a diverse, vibrant and active community, I have been reflecting on what the Queen's passing means for members of the community in Vancouver East.

For veterans in the community and across Canada, many felt a special bond with Queen Elizabeth II. A veteran herself who served in the Second World War, she was the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Royal Canadian Legion, Canada’s largest veteran support organization, of which there are branches throughout Vancouver East, has a strong connection to the Crown. A recent statement from the Royal Canadian Legion explained that the use of the word “royal” in the name came about in 1961 upon the Queen providing consent for its use.

The Queen had a special connection to, and publicly showed her support for, Canadian veterans. She visited the National War Memorial in 1967, and later, in 2007, she rededicated the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, declaring, “the Canadian Corps transformed Vimy Ridge from a symbol of despair into a source of inspiration.”

I am thinking about the many veterans in Vancouver East, who find community in the Legion halls throughout the riding and who attend the Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Grandview Park Cenotaph and the Chinese Canadian war memorial. These veterans responded to the duty to serve, not dissimilar to the manner in which the way the Queen responded to her duty to serve.

As a Chinese Canadian born in Hong Kong, which was under British colonial rule until 1997, I also reflect on the meaning of the Queen’s passing to those in my riding who immigrated to Canada from other Commonwealth countries or former British colonies

Given the developments in Hong Kong since the handover, with the national security law, many Hong Kongers are lamenting that they had more freedoms when Hong Kong was under British rule. That being said, we must also acknowledge that not everyone feels able to celebrate the life of a monarch or mourn her loss. Many Canadians feel pain and grief from the harms and injustices of British colonial rule.

The relationship to the Crown may be most significant and most challenging for indigenous peoples in Canada, for whom a direct relationship was established through royal proclamation, followed by the treaty-making process. The issuance of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 served as the foundation in the relationship between indigenous peoples and the Crown, recognizing indigenous land rights under the law and establishing a nation-to-nation relationship. While this predates both Confederation and the Queen’s reign, it is fundamental to Crown-indigenous relations.

It is important, as we reflect on the significance of the Crown's relationship with indigenous peoples, that we open space to hear indigenous voices, many of whom are grappling with the pain of colonization. Rather than bringing up feelings of national pride or nostalgia, the Queen acts as a symbol of colonization.

First nations leaders have called on the Crown to take further action on reconciliation. The B.C. Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs have called on the new King to make his first official act a renunciation of the doctrine of discovery, a component of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action number 45. As we reflect on the passing of the Queen, we must also make space to reflect on the damage of colonization that continues to impact indigenous communities.

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Madam Speaker, it was a beautiful summer day along the St. Lawrence River on June 26, 1959. In the city of Cornwall, we are accustomed to having guests and dignitaries visit the city every so often, but on that day, at the Moses-Saunders Dam in the city of Cornwall, there were several important visitors. The United States president, Dwight Eisenhower, and then vice-president Richard Nixon were joined by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to open the seaway. The next day they travelled from Cornwall to Long Sault, Ingleside, Morrisburg and then Iroquois. Despite that being decades ago, there are still fond memories for many citizens who got to experience those wonderful days.

That visit to Canada and to my community of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry came seven years into a seven-decade tenure and reign as our head of state. I want to start today with that story of remembrance and with my condolences on behalf of the people and residents of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry on the passing of a wonderful head of state, our Queen.

In the emotions, it has been a bit of a unique feeling over the course of the last week as we have come to grips with a unique time in our history, a transition that few of us have ever seen and may not see again in our lifetimes. There is a sadness, without a doubt, an empty feeling, but there is also an opportunity to reflect and think on the life and service of the Queen. What more could we ask for? At 96 years of age, she had given 70 years of service as Queen and met her 15th prime minister only two days before passing. She was working and serving until her final days.

To think of the history and scope of it, it is fascinating that her first prime minister was Winston Churchill, and she wrapped up 70 years just last week with Liz Truss. In Canada, there were 12 prime ministers, from Louis St. Laurent to our Prime Minister today, the member for Papineau. In our Commonwealth, she had the opportunity to serve and work with 179 prime ministers over her lifetime. It will be a long time before we see a head of state match that feat.

There is a sadness, but there is also a sense of gratitude and thanks. There is the opportunity to mourn, but there is also the time, as we have heard several times in the chamber today, from our Prime Minister, several members of cabinet and those who have had the opportunity to meet her, to share stories about the Queen. We could take a walk down memory lane.

I want to thank Susan Peters from the Dundas County Archives in the western part of my riding, as well as Ian Bowering, who is a retired curator at the Cornwall Community Museum, who documented a couple of other visits and stories between our riding in eastern Ontario, our community, and the Queen.

In 1976, she had a wonderful visit to Upper Canada Village, which today still attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the site nearby, in Morrisburg, Ontario. She visited our area again, the city of Cornwall, in 1984, on a whistle stop tour through eastern Ontario, visiting the Cornwall Civic Complex and Trinity Church and then departing from the train station again. We were blessed to experience first-hand her class, her energy and the enthusiasm she had for our country and our Commonwealth.

Those stories go both ways. We remember the visits, which I have been able to recall here in the chamber today, but also I say it goes the other way around. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hosted some residents of my community in the United Kingdom from time to time. One that I want to highlight today is retired member of provincial Parliament Jim Brownell, who also served for a period of time as honorary colonel for the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. He had the honour, in June 2018, of having an audience with Her Majesty in that capacity, as the regiment was celebrating its 150th anniversary at that time. The Queen was the colonel-in-chief and Jim remembers that being an absolute honour.

I think of his Facebook posts. I was going back, thinking of the memories, and I remember Jim posting this: “A great way to celebrate the 150th anniversary of a proud and historic regiment...Will definitely be thinking of the residents and family back home, and those no longer with us. Especially thinking of my parents, today. They would, indeed, be proud.”

That recollection is important because the Queen's service passed over many generations. Young and old alike developed a respect and appreciation for her duty, for her service and for a word that has been used, rightly, many times in this chamber and over the course of the past few days: We thank her for the stability that she provided for our country and our Commonwealth.

That is something that we take for granted. Despite upheavals and challenges around the world, and challenges in our own country, which we face even to this day in various forms, there has been a continuity of democracy and a continuity of stability that she has provided for our country. For that we are grateful.

From the people of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, we say to the royal family that our condolences are with them and our thanks are with them for the visits, for the memories and for all that the Queen did for the betterment not just of the Commonwealth and of Canada but for the world.

To King Charles III, the Queen Consort and the royal family, the King knows he has big shoes to fill and he knows that there are millions of Canadians in this country wishing him well. With all the tradition and protocol and pomp and circumstance that happen with a state funeral on the magnitude of what we are witnessing and will be witnessing in the coming days, it is important to note for the King and the royal family that we are losing a Queen and we are losing a head of state, but they are losing a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother as well. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.

We say today, rest well to the Queen, God save the King, and God bless Canada. I appreciate the opportunity to pass our condolences and share some wonderful memories of her 70 years of wonderful service.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Madam Speaker, in 1947, on the occasion of her 21st birthday and while on a world tour with her family, the future Queen Elizabeth II delivered a radio address to the entire Commonwealth of Nations and said:

I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

I think we can agree that Her Majesty was true to her word. Throughout her remarkable 70 years as Queen, and it was a long life to be sure, she was fully devoted to the service of her many subjects. This includes that vast majority of Canadians born after 1952 who had never known another head of state. Her death last week at the age of 96 is a time for profound sadness and respect.

Every Canadian has some sense of connection to the Queen, whether fleeting or profound. That is because she was always there for us. While we all understood that she had an entire Commonwealth to serve, many of us, including me, like to think that we were her favourite, such was the deep connection she formed with Canada. Queen Elizabeth often said she had to been seen to be believed, and so she worked tirelessly to ensure that she was indeed seen and believed by her public.

Her 22 state visits to Canada include many of the most momentous occasions in the life of our country, including the centennial in 1967, the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and the repatriation of our Constitution in 1982.

Some visits had unusual twists, like when Her Majesty visited my home province in 1984, and marijuana was found in our premier's luggage in the royal plane. Obviously he did not know how it got there, and a judge even speculated that a member of the media had planted it. It was all a royal fuss, and I am sure many MPs from other provinces have similar colourful stories about the Queen, pot and the RCMP, or maybe not.

Be that as it may, the Queen's experience allowed her to see how we see ourselves. In 2010, on her final visit to our shores, she said, “This nation has dedicated itself to being a caring home for its own, a sanctuary for others and an example to the world.”

The durable relationship between the monarch and her public was the direct result of the Queen's duty and devotion to public service. While these qualities often seem in short supply today, our Queen had them in vast, seemingly limitless quantities. Her sense of duty alone is reason to greatly mourn her passing.

Our Queen served a role of even greater significance than her own personal dedication to public service. I refer here to the role she played in preserving and protecting our remarkable democratic constitutional monarchy. While our system is greatly preferable to a republic, it nonetheless requires an astute but apolitical monarch to function properly.

The Crown must be dedicated to defending the public interest without ever imperilling the natural course of the elected government. She must reign without ruling. Doing so requires a delicate balancing act of tradition and modernity, tradition because Canada's current system of government dates to the earliest stirrings of our country. From the Royal Proclamation of 1763 to the founding of New Brunswick in 1784, a date of particular significance for my constituents, to Confederation in 1867, Canada has grown and thrived under our living constitutional monarchy.

In her interactions with the public and the pomp that surrounded her, the Queen offered repeated reminders of our connection to our institutional foundations, our long democratic traditions and our cultural ties to other Commonwealth nations. However, critics who claim the Crown is too focused on tradition and is an antique institution resistant to change have overlooked the many ways in which Queen Elizabeth was responsible for the remarkable reforms to the institution she embodied.

From embracing new forms of communication to recognizing the revolution in modern relationships, the Crown has changed with the times. Members will recall that the very reason Elizabeth became the Queen was that her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 because, at the time, it was unthinkable for a monarch to marry a divorcee. Today, her son Charles takes the throne with Queen Consort Camilla as his wife. Was the Queen hidebound? Hardly.

In all that she did, Queen Elizabeth exemplified a classically dignified approach to change. She worked tirelessly to defend the institution she represented while recognizing the need for its slow and measured evolution in line with public expectations.

The seamless ascension of King Charles III should be seen as a final testament to Queen Elizabeth’s commitment to the institution of constitutional monarchy. There was never a moment of confusion in the entire process. In fact, it happened before most of us even realized it, and it is happening still as bonds deepen, which is the remarkable authority of the Crown.

Finally, all Canadians can take great comfort in knowing that, as soon as he took his place, King Charles made direct reference to his mother’s own historic pledge from 75 years ago. He said, “That promise of lifelong service I renew to you today.” Such a commitment is exactly what Canadians have, need and expect from their monarch. The virtues of a head of state of discretion, dignity and duty have been passed from mother to son, from Queen to King. Queen Elizabeth’s ultimate and most lasting gift was to ensure her long years of work to safeguard that the continuity and stability of our constitutional monarchy will continue far into the future.

On behalf of my constituents, I recognize all that Her Majesty has done for this great country of ours. I thank our Queen Elizabeth. Long live the King.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, last Thursday, as I was leaving my home for the airport and a flight to Ottawa, my wife brought to my attention news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appeared to be very ill and that the end of her life may be near. My first instinct was disbelief. I could not believe that the news just relayed to me could possibly be anything other than an overreaction or an exaggeration of the severity of her condition. Despite her advanced age, it simply did not occur to me that she could have had anything fewer than five, or maybe even 10, years left. Such was her hold on the consciousness of her subjects and the citizens of her many realms and territories that her mortality seemed beyond belief until her very final hour had come.

Born in 1926, she was among the last of what has been called the greatest generation. She was of the generation that defeated Hitler and steeled itself for the long, ultimately successful, prosecution of the Cold War. She was among the very last people still living to have served actively during World War II and certainly the last head of state to have done so.

It was during the war years that the public's awareness of the young Princess Elizabeth's devotion to duty began, and that devotion to duty would define her eventual 70-year reign. The Princess insisted on joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service when she turned 18, becoming the first and only woman of the royal family's nearly 1,000-year history to have worn a uniform in full-time defence of the realm. She trained as a mechanic and worked as a driver.

Following the war, during her famous 1947 radio address, which was still some years before her ascension, she declared that her life, whether it be long or short, would be devoted to our service. Her life was indeed long, and its total devotion to service would begin a few years later when, at 25 years old, she became Queen Elizabeth II and began what Churchill predicted would be a second Elizabethan age. The only Canadians now living who can recall a time before her reign are now more than 75 years old. The earliest childhood recollection of a world event for some of the very early baby boomers may well be the Queen's 1953 coronation.

She lived through nearly two-thirds of Canada's history and reigned for nearly half of it. She and her husband, Prince Philip, first visited my city in 1951, a few months before her ascension, when a miniature version of the Calgary Stampede was held in October. Of course, there was an early winter storm the night before and the royal couple were photographed sitting stoically in the grandstand watching rodeo and chuckwagon races with a reported temperature of 10°F. That is -12°C. Her sense of duty was very much in evidence, and despite these difficult conditions, Princess Elizabeth was reported in the Calgary Herald at the time as having endeared herself to everyone and expressing interest in visiting Calgary again in the future, which is something that she would go on to do four more times during her reign, most recently in 2005.

She was the perfect human embodiment of a constitutional monarchy. The occasion of her death is an appropriate moment to reflect on the great and enduring strength of this constitutional arrangement, one that underpins Canadian democratic government and our broader society. This is a constitutional arrangement wherein laws are made, laws are carried out and justice is dispensed, not by the sovereign but in the name of the sovereign.

This arrangement has safeguarded the freedom of people who have lived under it for centuries. She reigned with a sense of duty and without an expression of opinion on any public policy, and she did so with dignity and grace. She directly accepted the advice of 15 prime ministers without public comment, yet the memoirs of these prime ministers often mention how much they enjoyed their regular audiences with the Queen. They remarked on her intelligence, how closely she followed national events and the value they placed on her wisdom. This includes such transformational leaders of her time as Churchill and Thatcher.

This lifetime of devotion to her kingdom and her many realms and territories, including Canada, continued right up to and including the second-last full day of her life when she personally accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and invited Liz Truss to form a government in her name, thus becoming the final prime minister of her reign, a reign that began 70 years earlier when Sir Winston Churchill was prime minister.

Of that day, which was a week ago this past Tuesday, outgoing Prime Minister Johnson said, “she was as radiant and as knowledgeable and as fascinated by politics as ever I can remember and as wise in her advice as anyone I know, if not wiser.”

Such was her devotion to duty that, at age 96, while approaching her final hours, she presided over another seamless and orderly transfer of executive power from one prime minister to another. With her passing, another seamless transition takes place, which is that of the ascension of her son, King Charles III, a man who has already spent his life in service and in preparation for this moment, and who will undoubtedly serve with the same devotion to duty, honour, dignity and grace observed at close hand from his mother.

To the royal family and to all those over whom Queen Elizabeth reigned, I offer my condolences. May she rest in peace, and may the King long reign over us.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour today to have an opportunity to express my condolences and also, on behalf on the constituents of the people of Courtenay—Alberni, to have the opportunity to rise today in the House to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. My thoughts are with the royal family, for their loss of a mother, a grandmother and great-grandmother, and with millions of others throughout the Commonwealth and beyond who relied on the Queen for comfort in times of uncertainty. May she rest in peace.

First, I want to express my appreciation for the many people in my community who are setting up services for Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, and also my disappointment that I cannot join them because I will be attending the national commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II here in Ottawa.

I want to thank the organizers of the many events in our riding, especially the Legions in our riding. We know that, back when the Queen was crowned in 1952, it was a different world. She took on the assumption of head of state at a time that was just after World War II, and her role in World War II gave her a lot of experience in and understanding of the need for dedication, commitment, empathy and strength. Our country was very different at that time. We were blessed with the visits of the Queen many times, and I am going to speak a bit about that and focus my attention on that because we have heard the many accolades for the many service roles that the Queen played, not just here in Canada but throughout the Commonwealth. It is a huge tribute to the Queen and her dedication and service to her role.

I want to talk about her visits to Vancouver Island. There have been many stories written in my local communities since the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last week. Stories are pouring in throughout my riding.

Erin Haluschak, a local reporter in the Comox Valley Record, did a story that outlined and talked about the visits of the Queen to Courtenay back in 1971. She made a stop at Lewis Park, a really important visit in our community. She again visited the area in 1994, when she was opening the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, which as all of us remember was a huge honour for Canada to host. Certainly for British Columbia and for Vancouver Island, it was an incredible memory for all of us that we will never forget.

I also want to express thanks to Susie Quinn, a local reporter for the Alberni Valley News. She wrote a wonderful story in the Alberni Valley News about the visit of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to our community more than 70 years ago, a little more than three months before she became our Queen. I want to thank her for outlining and talking about the Alberni Valley Museum. There was this wonderful photo that accompanied her story as well, which many of us know. It shows their visit, and it is a really great reminder.

We are proud that she chose to come to our community on her very first visit to Canada. Most of us have known no other sovereign, including me. She was a constant presence in our lives. I join many others in offering our heartfelt condolences to the members of her family, and in our prayers, she will certainly be there.

I am going to talk about some of the moments and some of the stories that people have shared. I am going to quote from that story from Susie Quinn. She writes:

Princess Elizabeth ascended the throne a few months [after her visit], on Feb. 6, 1952, after her father King George VI died. She was formally crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953.

At the time of their visit, the Alberni Valley was a thriving forestry town. It was a big deal for the Vancouver Island city to be included on a tour that featured appearances in places like Toronto, where hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets to greet the royal couple.

Port Alberni resident Bob Cole—

Bob Cole is a famous fisher in our community, who has been around for a long time.

—said he was only five years old when Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the city in 1951. At the time his parents, Arnold and May Cole, owned Klitsa Lodge at Sproat Lake. The lodge was known for its elite clientele, especially American business magnates and Hollywood stars.

“Klitsa couldn’t accommodate her entourage, but she and Prince Philip came out to tea at the lodge, served by my mother and father and staff at the lodge,” he recalled. The Queen’s entourage numbered 60 people and the lodge could only accommodate 46, so the group stayed at Eaglecrest near Qualicum Beach. “They came for tea. They stopped and had photographs taken at Sproat Falls.”

Patty Archer said her mother was 13 years old and used to tell the story of standing along the parade route. “She always remembered the thrill of the royal couple coming to the rather remote Alberni Valley,” Archer wrote in a social media post. “She was a staunch fan of the Queen her whole life.”

Joyce Evans remembers watching the then-Princess as the royal couple drove through Alberni on Johnston Road. “We went there with our teachers from Alberni Elementary School,” she said. “My mom, who passed away in March, remembers this day,” Helena Sperling-Beaulieu said. “She was a teenager watching. It was a fond memory for her.”

Ann Carney stated, “It’s very sad. I mean she did a wonderful job at 96.” Ann works at Churchill's British Imports in Parksville. She said, “A lot of people have been in today and are kind of sad about it. We all said what a wonderful woman she was and how hard-working she was.

Lorraine Bell, the Qualicum Beach Museum manager stated in a release, “Qualicum Beach has been visited by the Royal Family and served as a place of rest and relaxation several times over the years.”

In 1951, before her coronation, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip paid an informal visit to Eaglecrest Lodge back when the population of Qualicum Beach was just 760.

I will read from the PQB news social media page. Linda Thomas writes, “I think the Queen did very well at her job. She was steadfast, kind, dedicated and never veered far from doing her duty. She served during the war. She knew what war was. I haven't known any other monarch. May she rest in peace.” Those are very kind words.

My late great-grandmother, Winifred Denholme, and my late grandma, Joan Pearsell, were huge royal followers. Certainly, the Queen was a role model to them.

I reached out to my mom, Judy, to see how she was feeling about things and she wrote me a message. She said, “The Queen will be truly missed beyond any words I could ever express. Every time I saw her, she reminded me of grandmother, so full of faith, grace and love. She was an example to us all. At the end of the day, it is never about the positions we hold but rather about the gift of love and kindness we share with one another. She will be missed.”

As a young guy, I was certainly brought up following the royal family. I got dragged to Victoria to see the Queen downtown when she was visiting in 1983. I have to say that I will never forget the warmth of the wave from the Queen. It was very kind and loving. I very much appreciated her gentle approach in her role.

I cannot say enough about her sense of humour. She stood with Paddington Bear at 96 years old. It was a great demonstration of the fun person she was. I would have brought a marmalade sandwich today, but I am not allowed props in here. Again, it was a fun way to show that she really did enjoy her life.

The death of the Queen does highlight the important work of the monarchy to address past injustices. Many people around the world have had a troubled history with the British Crown, including colonialism, slavery, and the treatment of indigenous peoples here in Canada.

King Charles III has this opportunity for the first time in his life to move the monarchy forward in a way that he has never been able to and that is acceptable to today's generation. We know that on his most recent trip to Canada he cited that he had met with survivors of residential schools who demonstrated courage and shared their experiences. He acknowledged their suffering and talked about how much his heart went out to them and their families, but he has to go further. I hope that he will take that on sincerely in his new role and listen to indigenous elders and indigenous leaders and support the 94 calls to action.

Again, Queen Elizabeth II performed her role well with duty, service and devotion. I will truly treasure her memory. May she rest in peace.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Madam Speaker, before I begin, I want to offer my condolences and sympathies to all those affected by the tragic stabbings on James Smith Cree Nation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community.

It is an honour to rise today at this special sitting to provide some words of tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's passing on September 8 has shaken us all. Last week, the world lost a monumental figure. Her Majesty was the epitome of grace, class and duty.

I would like to send my deepest condolences to the royal family and to Canadians across the country. We, as a nation, are in mourning over the passing of our Queen, and the numbers speak for themselves. In England, lines of mourners stretched for five kilometres, and in Canada, our online book of condolences alone contains more than 170 pages of signatures, and I am sure there are a lot more since I wrote this speech earlier.

In my own constituency office in Brampton West, hundreds of people have stopped by to pay their respects. Words used to describe the Queen in the press and in the books of condolences evoke her grace, her dedication to service, as well as her humour and diplomacy. To many, including me, she was a beautiful presence, a beacon of hope and stability in a shifting and increasingly fractured world.

In public life, she modelled respect, duty and humility, qualities that are sorely lacking in today's political dialogue. Her Majesty was the Queen for almost half of Canada's existence. Her reign spanned more than seven decades, and in that time, she witnessed and participated in Canada's growth and prosperity as it grew into the strong, inclusive country it is today.

Over the course of the past seven decades, Her Majesty was always there for many of our major milestones. It was only 40 years ago that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was adopted with the signing of the proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982, by Her Majesty and the former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

She was present for the proclamation of the national flag of Canada in 1965, the establishment of the Order of Canada and broader Canadian honour systems in 1967, and the celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the admission into Confederation of Manitoba, the Northwest Territories in 1970, British Columbia in 1971 and Prince Edward Island in 1973. Her Majesty was also present for the drop of the puck at the NHL hockey game in Vancouver in 2002.

On one of her many visits to Canada, she also visited the City of Brampton to celebrate the 100th anniversary as a town in 1973. I was not born then, but I can say that on her royal tour, she and Prince Philip were taken to Gage Park during the official centennial celebrations. I know many Bramptonians still remember that day and have talked about that day in many of the conversations I have had with my constituents over the last week.

There are so many more moments that Canadians will cherish forever. Her Majesty remains the first Canadian monarch to open Parliament and deliver a speech from the throne in 1957. She was the first female member of the royal family to actively serve in the military and had a meaningful relationship with the Canadian Armed Forces as their commander-in-chief. She visited many ships and military bases across the country and presided over many military ceremonies.

Canada, of course, was the most frequently visited country by Queen Elizabeth II, and she had a strong relationship with our country. She made it a point to tour every province and territory, beginning with a five-week cross-country tour in 1951, which was followed by 22 official visits over the years. She often called Canada home and described us as a land “full of hope, of happiness and of fine, loyal, generous-hearted people.”

It was in 1947, at the age of only 21, that she vowed her whole life would be devoted to the service of the Commonwealth, and she honoured that promise until her very last day at the age of 96.

In 2002, Her Majesty reminded the world of the importance of service, community and compassion through her words, “Our modern world places such heavy demands on our time and attention that the need to remember our responsibilities to others is greater than ever.”

Her Majesty embodied these very words herself through her devotion and commitment to service. She was a sponsor of over 600 organizations, including 36 in Canada, many of which reflected her own interests and passions, such as education, health, children and science.

Her Majesty was a role model for selfless service that inspired so many here at home and across the globe. She will forever be remembered for her commitment to service, volunteerism and the betterment of society.

As Minister of Seniors, I have often reflected on the powerful and inspiring example the Queen gave of the value and worth of all elders. She worked to serve others until her final breath. Her resilience and contributions well into her advanced years are a reminder that seniors are a valuable asset. That makes us a very lucky nation. Canada's seniors are growing in ranks, so we can lean on a multitude of older Canadians to guide us into the next era.

Canadians will remember Her Majesty for her wisdom, advice and compassion. She was a source of stability and strength for all. She brought guidance, direction, confidence and courage to our nation and never failed to provide steady and reassuring messages, especially during times of global crisis, and particularly recently with the COVID-19 pandemic. Her words always held great weight.

It was in 1974 that she said these lines, which have stuck with me since the very first day I came across them: “We may hold different points of view but it is in times of stress and difficulty that we most need to remember that we have much more in common than there is dividing us.” These words have held a large place in my heart and serve as a constant reminder for all of us of how similar we truly are, regardless of our backgrounds or political stripes.

Her Majesty has always had a constant presence in the life of Canada, and she will be deeply missed. She had a deep love for Canadians and Canada, and she will be remembered for generations to come. On behalf of all Canadians, I thank her for her countless years of service and dedication and for the vow she made 75 years ago, which she never steered from.

My thoughts go out to her family, for whom she was a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. I know I join many Canadians, including in my own community of Brampton West and across the country, in mourning the end of an era.

I also wish to commend His Majesty King Charles III on his accession to the throne. His commitment to service, his focus on climate and his commitment to renewed Crown-indigenous relations all bode well for the future. Long live the King.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and to offer my sincere condolences and those of the constituents of Brandon—Souris to her family and loved ones.

Upon the death of Her Majesty, it feels like we have lost a member of our family, because we have; someone so familiar, so ever-present and so enduring. Her Majesty was timeless.

On the year of her Platinum Jubilee, and after her final official duty of asking the incoming British Prime Minister to form a new government, she sadly left us after a lifetime of service.

From serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service as a mechanic in the British army during World War II, to her passion for assisting charities, and her many official duties, she has never been one to stay idle.

Her Majesty was not just the Queen of the United Kingdom and the head of the Commonwealth, she was Canada's Queen.

She said this during her visit to Canada in 2010:

My mother once said that this country felt like a home away from home for the Queen of Canada. Prime Minister, I am pleased to report that it still does.

No matter where she went, throngs of Canadians, both young and old, would wait for hours to shake her hand or to get a glimpse of her. It has been inspiring to see so many from around the globe share their heartwarming stories and their interactions. For many, Queen Elizabeth II was a symbol of grace and eloquence. To others, she was their head of state and commander-in-chief. To all of us, she was an extraordinary woman and embodied the very best of duty and service to others. She transcended generations. While everything changed around us, she was a pillar. During the most tumultuous times, she provided stability. She was a north star to many and a role model to millions. Quite simply, she was not just a queen; she was my Queen.

From a young boy going to school in Elgin, Manitoba, she was present in our morning singing of God Save the Queen, and her picture was prominently displayed in our school. Our family watched Her Majesty's annual Christmas Day speeches and took to heart her words of encouragement and calls to action. For her, faith, family, community, charity and dedication to her subjects were paramount. From being the first monarch to open a Canadian parliamentary session, to celebrating Canada's centennial, to being there on the day we patriated our Constitution, she was ever-present.

Anyone who went to a hockey game at the old Winnipeg Arena would fondly remember the most magnificent painting of Her Majesty nicely settled between the two flags.

For myself, the first act of becoming a member of Parliament in 2013 was to swear that I would be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It is the same oath every single living member of Parliament, current or retired, has taken for 70 years.

Over her reign, many Canadians, including myself, felt a deep connection to the Queen. During her reign, she made 22 visits to Canada. From dropping the ceremonial puck, as has been mentioned many times today, at a Vancouver Canucks hockey game, to watching her daughter compete at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, she and her family were no strangers when they visited our country.

Personally, I had the opportunity to meet her son, Prince Edward, twice while I was a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. The first time was during a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting, which, ironically, was held on Prince Edward Island. The second time was in Winnipeg, where he presented the Duke of Edinburgh gold medals to Manitoba's top cadets, two of whom were from my provincial constituency of Arthur-Virden at that time.

My most memorable occasion with Her Majesty was having the opportunity to shake her hand during one of her six visits to Manitoba. It was at the legislature in 2002 to celebrate her Golden Jubilee while I was an MLA. While it was only a brief encounter, her warmth and grace shone through. It was during that visit that thousands of Manitobans had travelled to the city to celebrate her jubilee.

It was also an extraordinary moment when she unveiled the refurbished Golden Boy statue, which is pitched on the dome of the Manitoba legislature. To have the Queen, on her Golden Jubilee, unveil the Golden Boy, which is one of Manitoba's most famous symbols, is a memory I will never forget.

During Her Majesty's many trips to Manitoba, she was able to visit even the smallest rural and remote communities, including Churchill, Thompson, Gillam, Flin Flon, Norway House, Swan River, The Pas, Dauphin, Carman and many others. She visited these communities to better understand the province and the people who call it home.

Just recently, The Brandon Sun ran a wonderful story about the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and now King Charles's 1970 visit to the Bailey farm outside of Carberry, Manitoba. They were able to take a moment out of their busy schedule to ride horses and inspect the crops at the Bailey farm. Sure enough, 40 years after her farm visit, Mr. Bailey had an opportunity to meet the Queen in Winnipeg. She spoke fondly of her time on his family farm. This speaks volumes to me that the Queen was just as comfortable on a farm in rural Manitoba as she was at a state banquet or at Buckingham Palace.

Her love for the outdoors and horses remained constant throughout her years, and of course we all know of her dogs, her dear corgis. Since 1969, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has donated eight horses to Her Majesty, with her favourite being the first horse, which was named Burmese. When Burmese retired from parades and public duties, the Queen said, “Right, I’m retiring too, from those I’m not going to ride anymore because without Burmese it won’t be the same.”

To symbolize their unique relationship and her connection with Canada, a statue of Burmese and Her Majesty can be found north of the Saskatchewan legislature and a second can be found outside the Governor General's residence here in Ottawa. They will stand as a lasting reminder of her love of our country and will connect us with past and present.

I wish to remark on Queen Elizabeth II's devotion to task.

Last week was historic. On Tuesday, she welcomed Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a formal handshake. Our Queen passed away on Thursday, and on Saturday, a new leader of the official opposition in Canada was elected. I doubt three such significant events between our two nations will ever happen again in such a short span of time.

After seven decades, it is hard to imagine a world without her. It is impossible to encapsulate her positive influence in Canada and in our own lives. Her Majesty's legacy is profound, and it marks the end of an era and the beginning of another. May her memory live long in our hearts and her devotion to duty inspire us as we carry on our work to serve the people we represent.

God save the King.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

There being no further members rising, pursuant to order made earlier today, the House will resume statements on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the next sitting of the House.

Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to order made earlier today.

(The House adjourned at 6:22 p.m.)