Mr. Speaker, on Monday, November 4, Murray Sinclair passed away. Most Canadians will remember Murray as the chairperson for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which launched in 2009, and so they should. The work of the commission was monumental and profound. The commission, through Murray Sinclair's leadership, shone a light on the racist, colonial residential school system and all of its devastating effects, which indigenous people are still suffering through today. However, more than that, the final report of the commission offered solutions, calls to action, and those calls to action will guide Canada's reconciliation efforts for generations.
I remember Murray Sinclair from my time as a youth worker at the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre in Winnipeg. Murray was the husband of Katherine, who played a leadership role in the management of the centre, and he would sometimes come around, mostly for social functions such as Christmas parties and other celebrations. He stood out. He was a first nations lawyer, and he was a damned good one.
I had a chance to connect with him on those occasions, and connect with people is what Murray Sinclair did, all people, especially young people. He connected with me on the importance of getting involved, of not being afraid to advocate for what one believes in and, most of all, of being proud of who one is and where one comes from. For a young, uneducated, poor Métis man in the mid-eighties, the example he set and the message he sent were extremely powerful.
Murray Sinclair would go on to serve as co-commissioner of the provincial aboriginal justice inquiry in the late eighties. The purpose of the inquiry was to examine the issues plaguing the relationship between the indigenous people of Manitoba and the justice system of Manitoba, including police services. It was there that Murray Sinclair really rose to the occasion. He played an incisive role, a crucial role, in shining a light on the racist policies of the Winnipeg Police Service and the Manitoba justice system. The inquiry shone an intense and powerful light on indigenous-police relations in the city of Winnipeg, and those issues are still around today.
Of course, Murray Sinclair played other very important roles in his legal career, which are too numerous to mention. He was also appointed a senator here in 2016 and served until 2021. It was during this period that we were able to connect again semi-regularly on the plane from Winnipeg to Ottawa or from Ottawa to Winnipeg, when I had the opportunity to sit beside him for a couple of hours. We had some intense, enlightening discussions on reconciliation, on Manitoba issues and on Canadian issues. It was a real privilege to walk to his office in East Block and consult with Senator Sinclair on a wide array of reconciliation issues. There was absolutely nobody more knowledgeable, kinder and wiser to chat with at that time. I will always cherish and always remember those times.
Finally, Murray Sinclair was my Facebook friend and my daughter's Facebook friend. It always warmed my heart when I read posts on my daughter's site encouraging her and telling her to be positive, whether it was on education issues, university issues or her days as an activist. Murray had the ability to connect with all people, not only on social media, of course, but in real life, and especially young people. He was positive. He encouraged people to get involved and try to make their communities a better place.
My absolute personal favourite is when Murray Sinclair would comment on my daughter's Facebook page about how precious and beautiful my granddaughter, Tennessee Bone, is. It warmed my heart because obviously it is true. He had an ability to connect.
Murray Sinclair, Mazina Giizhik, was an extraordinary leader. He was a teacher and a fighter for social justice, among many other things, which are too numerous to mention. He will be sorely missed.
Rest in peace, Murray.