Madam Speaker, before I start, I want to underscore the horrific violence that members of the community of James Smith Cree Nation and the town of Weldon suffered just a few days ago. That pain and suffering in those communities is difficult to describe for those families. A number of us have expressed over the course of the last few days, for all the victims and their families, that they are in our hearts and in our minds at this time.
We are speaking of the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II. It is difficult to encapsulate the life of someone who had such an impact on so many people in a few minutes even in this place. We are sometimes challenged to really encapsulate a life that had so much impact on so many of us. My colleagues have all spoken with great eloquence. What I would like to do today is relay more of a personal impression of Queen Elizabeth II.
There is the institution, of course, and ultimately at some point there will be discussions around that institution, but there is, above all, the person. The person, Queen Elizabeth II, Her Majesty, was somebody who was very engaged, who brought immense stability to our parliamentary system and to our democracies, and showed incredible dedication.
Queen Elizabeth II visited the community of New Westminster three times through her long reign. She visited the community of Burnaby twice over that same period. I will mention more specifically some of the reflections of people in my community in a moment, but each time she came, she was fully engaged and provided a remarkably memorable visit in both New Westminster and in Burnaby.
Before I get to those personal reflections, I want to talk about the great gifts that Queen Elizabeth II provided us. Foremost is the stability that she brought through her long reign. It is the longest reign by a monarch in recent times; 70 years. We sometimes take that for granted, the seamless passage from one institution to the next, the seamless passage of the monarchy, the Queen passing away and within hours King Charles III being crowned.
We had the stability that came from having a head of state that welcomed and inaugurated 15 governments in the United Kingdom and a dozen governments through her representative here in Canada. We sometimes take for granted that stability of passage, that seamless passage from one government to the next, democratically elected, her continuing reign as head of state and even the seamless passage from the head of state, as she passed away, to her successor.
This is not something we should take for granted, particularly in this day and age. We only have to look at the chaotic violence on January 6, 2021, in the United States from a man who promotes despotic values. That chaotic violence is a strict contrast and a wake-up call for us to never take for granted the stability that Queen Elizabeth personified passing from one government to the next, always respecting those fundamental democratic values that we all hold dear.
Queen Elizabeth II really embodied the spirit of dedication. I think the best example, as so many of my colleagues have said over the past 24 hours as we have been paying tribute to her in this House of Commons, is the fact that 48 hours before her death, at a time when surely she was aware that her time, her hours were numbered on this earth, she still was able to welcome the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Truss. That was done 48 hours before she passed. That dedication, putting her role and the importance of her position before all else, is something that a number of people have commented on as well.
It is important to note that this continuity is something that comes from the presence of Queen Elizabeth II in so many aspects of her life. It is also important to note, primarily, that in the many comments that have followed her passing, new Canadians, who have taken an oath of citizenship to her, have often been, I think, the strongest in terms of providing comments and talking about the person of Queen Elizabeth and her impact on their lives. However, above all, she was engaged, and I want to relate a personal anecdote.
In 1971, on one of her numerous visits to New Westminster, my classmates and I at the time, at nine years old, danced for the May Day festivities in front of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. All of us were nervous before we got up to dance, and afterward, all of us thought the Queen had been watching us. Just last weekend, I sat down with a number of my classmates from that time: Becci Dewinetz, Debbie née Cooke, and Kathy née Gifford. All of us, even now 50 years after the event, felt that the Queen was very much focused on us during that event, and this is something that is absolutely part of people's reactions to Queen Elizabeth and her engagement with people wherever she went in the Commonwealth.
Over the last few days at Century House, which was actually inaugurated by Princess Margaret in 1958 in New Westminster, books of condolences have been signed by my constituents. When we inaugurated the first day last Monday, there was a lineup right out the door, and people have been coming throughout the week to sign a book of condolences to send messages of condolence to the royal family.
There was Lorraine Holmes, who is in a motorized wheelchair and has a half-hour trek to get to Century House. She felt it was so important to sign that book of condolences. She wanted to pass on her condolences and her memories of Queen Elizabeth II.
There was Rachel and many people from across the Lower Mainland. It took Rachel two hours by bus from Tsawwassen to come to New Westminster to sign that book, and we have had people from throughout the Lower Mainland lined up to sign the book and express their condolences.
I want to read one passage from Colleen Vogler and her family:
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for being the best example to the world of how to live one's life as a leader in monarchy, a mother, a wife, a grandmother, a great-grandmother and a woman. You were wise, intelligent, devoted, kind, loving and had a terrific sense of humour. You kept the world in sync so that you had them keep calm and carry on. There's one more angel in heaven. There's one more star in the sky. Blessings, hugs to the family and all who knew her. God bless the Queen. Colleen Vogler and family.”
The same expressions were expressed by many as they came to sign the book of condolences.
There is no doubt, as the member for Burnaby South said in his speech yesterday, that there is now an important role for King Charles III to play in reconciliation with indigenous peoples. I repeat the call of our leader, the member for Burnaby South, that King Charles III must strive for reconciliation with indigenous peoples and look to a royal proclamation of reconciliation. It is fundamental and must be a priority for our new monarch.
I am reminded of a phrase from Thornton Wilder, who said, “The highest tribute...is not grief but gratitude.” We are profoundly grateful for the service of Queen Elizabeth II, for the stability she brought throughout her long reign through her dedication and devotion, expressed until hours before her passing, and for how engaged she was with people in her visits to my communities of New Westminster and Burnaby, but also with everyone she met throughout her long reign.
We are grateful for all that she contributed to our democracy and to the institution. She will be missed.