44th Parl. 1st Sess.

September 15, 2022 10:00AM

Mr. Frank Caputo (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, CPC)

Sep/15/22 4:23:02 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise in the House on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. It is unfortunate, though, that it is on this occasion that I rise to remember the 96 years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. That being said, I am honoured to rise on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo to mark the Queen's passing. I take this opportunity to commemorate the life of Queen Elizabeth II and offer my deepest condolences to the royal family and to loved ones. In many instances, this is the only monarch that Canadians will have known. That is certainly the case for me at 43 years old; it is the case for just about everybody in my family, save my 98-year-old grandmother. We must remember that the Queen took the throne at just 25 years old, and as I reflected on that I reflected on who I was at 25 years old. I was just in my first year of law school. I had just met my wife, and I do not know that I was even ready to be a lawyer, a parliamentarian or even a husband at that point. I was certainly not ready to be a father, and I was not ready for all the world had in store for me, yet at just 25 years of age the Queen displayed the dignity and grace that would mark her reign, a reign we will not soon forget. We heard earlier today about the Queen's special relationship with Canada. Queen Elizabeth II toured Canada 20 times over 70 years. Remarkably, she visited Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo four times in her life. First, in 1939, she visited as Princess Elizabeth, and then again in 1951, shortly after her teen years, when she was still Princess Elizabeth. In 1959 and 1971, she visited as Queen Elizabeth. Many still remember those visits to Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. Her most lengthy stay was in 1959, a visit which saw her and Prince Philip greeted by some reported 30,000 people in our riding. When I think back on it, believe Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo would have been still divided as North Kamloops and Kamloops proper at that time. A young Alba Spina, my mother, would have been nine years old, and as I recall the Queen's pathway took her along Tranquille Road, which was about a block away from where my mother grew up on Poplar Avenue in North Kamloops. My mom reminded me of going to see the Queen that visit, all the people who were present and what a big deal it was as the Queen passed what would later become Our Lady of Perpetual Help, my elementary school. This is a memory she will not forget. This is a memory that some 30,000 people in Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo will probably never forgot. That Queen Elizabeth would take the time to process down Tranquille Road in North Kamloops at the time speaks to her outreach to all Canadians. As most know, my prior career was as a Crown prosecutor. As a former Crown prosecutor, I always emphasize the Crown, and there was a special relationship with the monarchy in my capacity as Crown council. I remember I was conducting a sex assault trial, and I made a fairly pivotal decision that had to be made. It was consistent with what my ethical obligations were at the time, and I was approached by the defence lawyer. He said he wanted to tell me that I really did the honour of the Crown that day. As I prepared my speech, I reflected on what that meant. What is the honour of the Crown? The honour of the Crown, in my view, is doing the right thing. It is doing things with dignity and doing things with integrity, all qualities that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II exemplified. It is hard to imagine a future without Her Majesty the Queen. When I speak about my former career as a lawyer, I think about the magnitude of the patriation of the Constitution Act of 1982 and the schedule of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and how that changed the lives of all Canadians and how it really changed the lives of all litigators, especially lawyers in criminal law, the area in which I practised and taught at Thompson Rivers University's Faculty of Law. Queen Elizabeth II set a standard of leadership for generations to come, and it is hard to fathom that she led people through 70 years of service. She was a calming influence through every major event the world has witnessed over the past 70 years. Let us not forget that she witnessed the establishment of the United Nations, watched the moon landing and led through conflicts such as the Korean War, the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Gulf War, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, the largest conflict in Europe since she served in the military in World War II. It is difficult to overstate Queen Elizabeth II's impact on Canada during these trying times. In our day-to-day life, we do not often think about the impact she had on our lives, but it was in difficult times that she would offer a word of comfort to Canadians. Her messages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic are the most recent examples of her uncanny ability to give us all a sense of peace in times of tribulation. Looking back on her life, I am reminded, in my capacity as shadow minister for veterans affairs, of her work and training as a mechanic in World War II. Queen Elizabeth II could have watched from a distance as a young woman, but her character called her into service. Leaders lead, and she took the opportunity to lead when it presented itself, when her country, the United Kingdom, was at war. We are grateful to Queen Elizabeth for her innumerable contributions to our country and system of government, having personally granted royal assent to the Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It was a life well lived. May eternal light shine upon Queen Elizabeth II. May Her Majesty rest in peace. May God save the King.

1071 words

Hear!
Rabble!
add
star_border
share

SoVote

House Hansard - 96