Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago, I was a parliamentary page in the House. Many of my page colleagues from 1988-89 are here with us today.
We are honouring the memory of one of our colleagues, Carl Gillis, with a gift to the House of Commons.
On a beautiful day in May 1996, Carl went rollerblading along one of Ottawa's famous paths. It was to be his last time. He suffered a devastating fall, and the resulting injury was fatal. One of Canada's brightest lights was extinguished. Carl was vibrant, smart, caring and compassionate. We lost a dear friend. His family lost a son, a brother, an uncle and a grandson, and I am convinced that Canada lost a future prime minister.
Carl loved Parliament. He loved public service and parliamentary procedure. Even at the tender age of 26, Carl was committed to making a difference as he embarked on his life in politics. Although he was robbed of that chance, he still had an incredible impact on everyone he met.
I hope that future pages will like this gift from the class of 1988-89 and know that they are part of a larger family of parliamentary pages.
I say, “Here's to Carl.”