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House Hansard - 92

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 20, 2022 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 92 - Jun/20/22
Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)
  • Jun/20/22 2:15:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Alberta Billy was an influential leader and elder from the Laich-Kwil-Tach speaking people. Her passing fills me with a deep sadness, and it will have a profound impact on our riding. The gentleness of her spirit called everyone around her to be their very best self. She was a significant leader who educated Canadians about the deep and painful impacts of residential school. In the eighties, with friends Thelma Davis and Stan McKay, she worked years to inspire the United Church of Canada to take ownership of the part it played, which it did, becoming the first religious institution to apologize to indigenous peoples. She did not stop there. She worked with Kathi and Meredith to educate people on the impacts of residential schools with an experiential training through The Village workshop series. She would say to me, “We do it because we must.” Her words give me strength in challenging times. The world a much sadder place without Alberta. I am so honoured to have known and loved her. I wish her husband, Daniel, and her family much love in this profound time of grief.
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