On this beautiful day, I too would like to take time to honour the legacy of Julia Munro, or Lady Munro, as she was so affectionately known around the Legislature. With 23 years of service as MPP of Durham–York, York North and, finally, York–Simcoe, she is remembered as the longest-serving woman MPP and an inspiration for women in politics in this province and beyond.

After working as a history teacher in Markham and Newmarket for 24 years, Lady Munro made the bold choice to run for office in 1995, when she won with an impressive margin. Among her many roles, Lady Munro worked as a parliamentary assistant to Premier Mike Harris, deputy opposition House leader, and deputy House Speaker. The work she did during her time as an MPP was pivotal, and she went on to introduce six bills in the Legislature before her retirement from politics in 2018.

Each year, on June 15, we continue to honour Lady Munro on Magna Carta Day, as was mentioned before, through the Magna Carta Day Act (In Memory of Julia Munro, MPP), which remembers the document King John affixed in 1215 that introduced key principles that hold true in democratic societies today, including equal justice for everyone, freedom from unlawful detention, the right to a trial by jury, and rights for women.

Lady Munro was known for her passion for animals in her personal and professional life. As an animal lover myself, I’m grateful for the important work Lady Munro did to protect the well-being of our furry friends. Her bill, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Amendment Act, 2001, helped to ban puppy and kitten mills and prevent the inhumane treatment of animals. Our pets become a part of our family, and Lady Munro’s work has helped to protect them, as they so deserve.

Lady Munro was truly a trailblazer for women politicians in this province. At a time when it wasn’t a given for us to have a seat at the table, she got involved. As a mother and wife myself, I know first-hand how difficult it can be to step up and pursue a path in politics. She sacrificed time with her family to advocate for her community and make meaningful change, which we can still see the effects of to this day.

Women and girls in this province can look to Lady Munro as an inspiration and to see that, yes, you can and you should have a voice in politics. Across party lines, having women in the Legislature is crucial to creating an equitable and equal political landscape in this province, and Lady Munro was a shining example of this.

I’d like to leave you with the quote that was mentioned before—I can’t believe she had this on her licence plate; I think it’s amazing: “Democracy: Don’t waste it.”

Ontarians are lucky to have had her serve as a representative.

I am proud to continue her legacy as a woman in this Legislature, and I so strongly respect the work she did during her long service as an MPP.

May she continue to rest in peace.

Applause.

I’m honoured today to rise to pay tribute to the late MPP Julia Munro, known affectionately as Lady Munro. As a respected educator and exemplary MPP from 1995 to 2018—an incredible 23 years; the longest-serving woman MPP in Ontario’s history. She was a trailblazer and a fierce advocate for her constituents and her students.

Mrs. Munro was known for having friends on both sides of the aisle. It wasn’t until yesterday, when I was going through Hansard, that I stumbled upon a tribute she actually paid to me, for the role I played in advocating for the Waste-Free Ontario Act in 2016. But that’s the type of person Julia was—somebody willing to work across party lines and share the spotlight with others to put people first.

I first met Julia in the early 2000s, when I was working with the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association to promote local food and farmers, and I can tell you, she was a fierce advocate to support and nurture local food sources and the farmers that grow that food. As a hobby farmer and gardener, Lady Munro knew the value and the importance of nurturing those local food sources.

As a staunch supporter of democracy, rural communities, small businesses and especially animals, Ms. Munro was an exemplary political model for so many people, including myself.

Speaker, I want to leave us with her commitment to democracy. Now, more than ever, that legacy of her commitment to democracy is needed in our world, and we will be forever grateful for the work that she did in this House for our province.

And so to her family who’s watching, I want to thank you for sharing Lady Munro with us. May she rest in peace.

Applause.