Mr. Speaker, human beings and justice were fundamentally important in the life of Joane Vandal, who headed Équijustice Lanaudière Sud for 36 years.
In carrying out her mission of making our society fairer and more equitable, Joane was never afraid to think outside the box. She was highly committed to advocating for community mediation and restorative justice.
She worked alongside the traditional system to ensure that victims obtained reparation for the harm suffered and offenders accepted responsibility for the harm they caused.
Victims and offenders who wanted to use this approach found themselves at the same table with Joane. Faced with horrible situations, from sexual assault to homicide, Joane managed to shepherd people towards healing and always with care for others. Her former colleagues consider her a she-wolf who cares for her pack, and they are proud to carry on her work.
I wish Joane all the best in her well-deserved retirement. I thank her for her decades of service to others and for having prepared her successors so well.