Mr. Speaker, for nearly 15 years, we had the privilege of working alongside a man who left his mark on the history of Quebec and Canada. In the mayhem of parliamentary sparring and our political debates, where partisanship takes over and things heat up rather quickly, far too often we forget the greatness of the women and men we encounter. I am guilty of that. Here in the House, there are women and men who have had breathtaking professional or personal journeys.
However, who can boast about having spent 677 hours in space? Who can boast about starting his days by staring down at the Earth from the sky?
Marc Garneau is the first Quebecker and the first Canadian to have achieved the absolutely extraordinary accomplishment of going to space. The hon. Marc Garneau participated in three NASA missions: one mission in the space shuttle Challenger and two missions in the space shuttle Endeavour. He was responsible for manipulating the famous Canadarm during his second mission to space.
He was an astronaut. He was an astronaut in a spacesuit, just like the ones we saw in the movies that made us dream big when we were kids. Marc Garneau took the dream that was out of reach for so many young Quebeckers and Canadians and made it a reality. He paved the way for Chris Hadfield, Julie Payette and David Saint-Jacques, to name just a few. He showed us the way to the stars.
Of course, politically, we had our disagreements. To be honest, I remember the disagreements more than the agreements. Nevertheless, he was among the first federal Liberals to want to ensure that the Quebec nation was recognized in the federal Parliament. His commitment to Quebec must be recognized. The Canadian space program and the important role that aeronautics and aerospace play in Quebec's economy, particularly in the greater Montreal area, would not be the same without Marc Garneau's contribution.
Marc Garneau left us yesterday. To his family, his friends, his colleagues who served with him, to those who travelled around our blue planet with him, and to those who have chosen to follow in his footsteps and embrace the dream of going into space, I offer, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, my sincere condolences.
Thank you, Mr. Garneau.