I want to thank the family and friends who have taken the time to join us today as we remember Michael Charles Ray.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mrs. Barbara Sullivan, who was the MPP for Halton Centre during the 34th and 35th Parliaments.

Joining us in the Speaker’s Gallery are Mrs. Sullivan’s family and friends: her husband, Jordan G. Sullivan; her daughters, Michele Thompson, Sandra Sullivan and Elspeth Gibson; her son, Jordan D. Sullivan; her daughter-in-law, Alex Sullivan; and her friend Vivienne Jones.

Also in the Speaker’s Gallery is David Warner, Speaker during the 35th Parliament.

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.