Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today to recognize and honour the life of a good Canadian, Michael Robert Ellchook, who everybody knew simply as “Hoss”. Like the Bonanza character, Hoss was a gentle giant of a man. A good Ukrainian boy, he grew up on a farm in Murillo. Hoss loved cooking. He worked as a chef in Europe and various places in Canada before returning home to open up his own restaurant.
Hoss was a volunteer in a wide variety of community activities, none more important than his role as a volunteer firefighter with the Oliver Paipoonge Fire and First Response. That is where I first met him years ago when he brought someone into the emergency room while performing CPR on them. That was Hoss, always helping others. That is why he was such a beloved member of the community and why he will be missed by so many people from Murillo, Kakabeka and Thunder Bay. Most of all he will be missed by his loving family, his mother Betty, his sister Jeanne and his brother Dennis.
Thanks, Hoss.