It’s an honour today for me to rise to recognize Barbara Sullivan. I want to start out by thanking her family who are here today: her husband, Jordan G. Sullivan; her daughters, Michele Thompson, Sandra Sullivan, Elspeth Gibson; her son, Jordan D. Sullivan; daughter-in-law, Alex Sullivan; granddaughter Annie Keely; her friend Vivienne Jones; and the 35th Speaker of this Legislature, Mr. David Warner.

Barbara grew up near Oakville and attended Munn’s one-room schoolhouse. This was a rural area. She raised sheep and Holstein cattle, and she won many top awards at showings. She was an active member in many community groups, including 4-H, and the Sheridan College musical theatre program. She was the chair of the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. She was a member of Heritage Canada, the Ontario Historical Society, the Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Canadian Club, and she was a board member of Parks Canada.

Barbara studied journalism at Carleton and worked as a journalist at the Toronto Telegram. She later worked as a public affairs consultant. And in politics, she first worked as the principal secretary and chief of staff to the treasurer of Ontario, Robert Nixon.

Before campaigning herself, I discovered that she worked as a campaign manager in the campaigns of Robert Nixon, Stuart Smith, Art Eggleton, Jean Chrétien and John Turner. It amazed me that all of these successful politicians had the same woman behind them. Mr. Nixon even referred to her as “the best campaign manager I know.” I don’t doubt that.

Barbara Sullivan was elected to this House in 1987 and re-elected in 1990 in the riding of Halton Centre. She served for two terms, from 1987 to 1995. During that time, she was appointed official opposition critic for the environment, and she served as a member of many bodies: the Board of Internal Economy, the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly, the government caucus chair, the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Labour, and she chaired the Select Committee on Energy. So she had a lot to do with the functioning of this body.

After her time as MPP, she became a member of the board of directors of the Hamilton Health Sciences Corp., which she later chaired. She was also the chair of the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council.

More recently, she was a vice-chair and director of Ontario’s Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority. She was a governor of Mohawk College. She was a director of the Bay Area Health Trustee Corp. and director and treasurer of the Ontario Association of Former Parliamentarians. She has really contributed and left a substantial legacy on Ontario’s political and social landscape.

I want to close by thanking her family, her loved ones for allowing her to serve the people of Ontario, for making the sacrifice so that she could serve here in this House and elsewhere in society. She has left behind such a legacy, and we’re very thankful for her service. It’s an honour today to rise and recognize that.

Applause.

I am honoured to stand here today and say a few words about Mr. Drummond White, who served as NDP MPP for Durham Centre from 1990 to 1995 and brought a real devotion to social justice and a sense of community to his constituents. He leaves behind his wife Norah; his children Amanda, Devin, and Lenore; his grandchildren Arya, Maisie, Ezra, Wilton, Ophelia and Miles; his sister Rosemary Johnston; and his nieces Kate, Alison and Emily.

His daughter Lenore joins us today, along with Mr. David Warner, Speaker of the 35th Parliament. We’re grateful for your presence here today. Thank you.

Born in Toronto, Mr. White attended the University of Toronto in 1969, where he was blessed to meet Norah, and they were married in 1972. After receiving his first degree at U of T, he went on to receive his bachelor of social work at York University, his MSW from Wilfrid Laurier University and then an advanced diploma in research at U of T—clearly a love for learning was present in his life.

Mr. White and his family made Whitby their home, where he devoted his life to public service and social justice. He was a force for social reforms, especially for his community in the Durham region.

Social workers play an important role in our communities, and Mr. White touched so many lives as a social worker for 35 years. He was a founding member of the Durham chapter of the Ontario Association of Professional Social Workers and was instrumental in the development of the Ontario College of Registered Social Workers and Social Service Workers. He served on the boards of both the Ontario Association of Social Workers and the Canadian Association of Social Workers, and in 2005 was the recipient of the CASW Distinguished Service Award—clearly well-deserved.

His ongoing contributions to the Ontario NDP were honoured in 2017 with a lifetime membership.

Just a couple of months before Mr. White passed away, he and Norah celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary—what a wonderful accomplishment.

His passion for life and devotion to his work will forever be remembered by his loved ones and those whose lives he touched through his service. Beyond politics and social work, Mr. White had diverse interests, such as literature, theatre, travel, music and history. He also enjoyed chess, cycling—scuba diving, even—and started learning a little Spanish toward the end of his life, so to that end: Remarks in Spanish.