Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance for the late Mr. Gordon Irvin Miller, with five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government, five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition and five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group.

It’s an honour for me to rise today and to pay tribute to Joe Dickson, a much-loved and respected member of our Liberal caucus, a gentleman who welcomed me into this Legislature.

Known to many as “Mr. Ajax,” Joe had an unwavering love for his family and his community, as was clear in the way that he took pride in serving the people of Ajax–Pickering for more than 30 years.

First elected as an Ajax councillor in 1983, Joe Dickson finished up as Ajax–Pickering MPP in 2018, a role in which he had served since 2007. In representing Ajax as MPP, Joe served as the deputy government whip from 2007 to 2011, and he went on to serve in the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration from 2013 to 2014 and the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines from 2014 to 2018 as a parliamentary assistant.

For his many years of service, Canada’s Governor General honoured Joe with both the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 “for outstanding achievement or public service in Canada.”

It is no surprise, then, that Joe was so well known in his Ajax riding. He was known for being a huge advocate and champion of the hospital there, and more generally for the whole of the Ajax community. And this was true throughout his life and career, as well as in his business and personal life.

Dickson Printing, Joe’s family-owned business, opened in 1969 and developed into a full-service printing operation which won 17 straight readers’ choice awards for best printing company. And when he retired from politics in 2018, Joe returned to Dickson Printing as president, spending his time with his beloved wife, Donna; his two children, Jim Dickson and Joanna Dickson-Jones, and their families; and his five grandchildren, Madeline, Grace, Carys, Audrey and Fynn.

I had the privilege of knowing Joe professionally, and I have so many fond memories of him. He invited me to many Caribbean events in Ajax. It meant a lot that he never missed an opportunity to acknowledge me whenever he saw me in this chamber or in the halls. He made me feel included.

Mostly, I remember Joe and his beautiful wife, Donna, as they had such an impact, standing head and shoulders above the crowd in life and in commitment to service. Whenever they were at our Liberal events, you would just notice their elegant figures coming through the room. Joe was known for his good nature and his sense of humour. He was always poking fun. You never were in his presence without getting a good laugh.

On a personal note, I remember Joe and Donna frequently visiting my cousin’s restaurant in Ajax for dinner. As the head chef there, my cousin developed a fondness for Joe and Donna, a sentiment that was commonly felt among all who knew them.

I was at a local restaurant, Beryl’s Pepper Pot. It’s an authentic Jamaican restaurant that actually spread three franchises across Durham—family and independently owned and operated. As you know, Joe Dickson was a supporter of small businesses. He helped this owner, Beryl, get herself established and championed her opening her third location. She said to me that it would never have been possible without Joe. He made the call.

So today, I want to express my deepest respect and admiration for Joe Dickson for stepping up and serving in public office throughout his lifetime, for contributing in countless ways to the success of the community he loved, and for making Ontario politics a more fun and interesting place to be.

Joe Dickson devoted his life to serving the public and his beloved community of Ajax. Ajax and all of us are indeed fortunate to have had such a passionate and devoted MPP. I want to say thank you to his wonderful family for sharing him with us for so many years. Thank you.

Applause.

I’m honoured to have the privilege to take a few moments to honour the late Gordon Miller—or simply Gord, as his colleagues called him—on behalf of our government.

In attendance today are some of Gord’s family and friends: his son, Doug; daughter-in-law, Flora; grandchildren Jamie, Geoff and Meghan; grandson-in-law, David; and great-grandchildren Brynn and Mason. I want to thank you for sharing Gord with us.

While I never served with Gord as a member, I did know him for many years when I was in local government. I wanted to learn how his friends and former colleagues described him, and what became clear to me is that Gord deeply cared about his local community. He was called “caring,” “a gentleman,” “a good neighbour” and the “heart of his community,” however, these kind words do not do justice to his lifelong dedication to rural Ontario and public service.

Gord was born in the small town of Jarvis in southwestern Ontario to George and Jane, who themselves came to Jarvis in the 19th century to start a farm. Even as a child from humble beginnings, Gord was involved in the fabric of his community. As an athlete in high school, he played baseball with other students in the surrounding area as an outfielder. Hockey legend Red Kelly, who used to play baseball with him, remarked that “when somebody hit a long ball, Gordon would just stretch out” his long, lanky “arms and, nine times out of 10, the ball would wind up in his hands.” Kelly never dreamed he would be a future politician. For a while, he wasn’t. After the passing of his father in 1945, Gord and his brothers took over the family farm and built a successful farming operation.

Gord’s career in public service undoubtedly began with the many ways he was involved in the local Jarvis community while he was a farmer. He was especially involved in his local church, serving as an elder and Sunday school superintendent. With his dedication to community service, it was a natural step for him to get involved in local politics. He served as a trustee of the Jarvis School Board between 1960 and 1967. He was elected as a councillor to Walpole township in 1968, reeve in 1971 and regional councillor of Haldimand-Norfolk in 1973. In 1975, Gord was elected as the Liberal member in Haldimand–Norfolk, defeating long-time PC member Jim Allan.

With someone so involved in local politics, it’s not surprising that he was elected to Queen’s Park on a local issue. Two years prior, a two-tier, six-municipality system was implemented, and voters did not like that new system of regional government. Gord was also against the new regional government, although he was never able to change it.

During his 15 years, he served as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation and to the Minister of Agriculture and Food, but he never lost touch with his local people who elected him. He was a dedicated champion for farmers, Haldimand–Norfolk and all rural Ontarians.

Following his time as MPP, Gord did not stop his community service, even though he went back to his original love: farming. He was named as Jarvis citizen of the year in 1990. He was an active volunteer with the United Way, Crime Stoppers, and served as chair of the West Haldimand General Hospital Foundation.

In 2017, former Jarvis resident and current resident of Woodstock, Allison Gowling, was asked to write a biography of Gord and his family, which was a lifelong dream of his. But even without the memoir, the Miller family’s mark on Jarvis is apparent. In fact, his farm is on the road that bears his name: Gordon Miller Trail.

Gord and I both have backgrounds in rural Ontario and local politics, and I have grown greatly to respect the work that he did throughout his long life. I believe that a quote from Gord’s former chief financial officer sums him up brilliantly: “He was an ordinary man who did extraordinary things.”

May you rest in peace, Gord Miller.

It’s truly an honour today to be able to rise and pay tribute to Gordon Miller on behalf of the official opposition. I’d like to welcome his family here today and thank them for his service.

When I was asked to do this, I wondered—and as soon as I started doing the research, I knew why I was asked: because in the parliamentary record, his occupation is listed as a farmer. And if my occupation is listed some day as a farmer, it will be the proudest day of my life. I would like to commend him for that.

It’s already been described—I’m not going to go through it again—the long list of things that Mr. Miller did. So I’m going to use a few quotes. I never had the opportunity to meet him, but there are a few interesting quotes from people who did know him.

From a former Premier, David Peterson: “He was a specialist on rural and community issues. He knew everybody. He was just the quintessential good neighbour”—because he was a farmer. People who aren’t from a farming community might not know it, but farmers are very competitive: Who has the nicest crops? Who has the most milk per cow? But when something happens, they gel and help each other. They are all quintessential good neighbours. I have never met a farmer I didn’t like. They don’t always agree with me and I didn’t always agree with them, but farmers are quintessential good neighbours.

Another quote from Mr. Peterson: “He could crush you with his big hands. You look at him and there’s a farmer.” Well, we all—farmers all have interesting hands. But I’m sure that every farm community has got a couple of people who have those big hands. When they get you in a handshake, you can just feel the power. I’m sure Mr. Miller was one of those. Something—I’m just doing this anecdotally—I have never met someone with that huge handshake who wasn’t a really friendly person. But sometimes—I have to describe this handshake, and I’m sure Mr. Miller has done this: It’s the friendly handshake, but if they want to send a bit of a message, it’s a bit painful. I’m sure that Mr. Miller did that too.

Another one from Mr. Peterson: “If you ever thought he was a bumbling farmer you were wrong because he ... was one guy in my caucus who would tell me I was full of baloney.” Now, when I read that the first time, I thought: Okay, who does Mr. Peterson think a bumbling farmer is? But anyway, I think what he was trying to say is that farmers aren’t all parliamentarians and aren’t all diplomatic, but they are very direct. They’re take-charge people. They want to get things done. They deal with nature, so they understand they’re not going to win every battle, but they understand they have to fight every day. And those are qualities that farmers like Mr. Miller, I’m sure, brought to this House.

I would like to close with something that I read: He passed away peacefully in front of his fireplace just three days short of his 97th birthday, on his farm, on the road named after him, the Gordon Miller Trail. And with all of those accomplishments, the whole list of accomplishments, his greatest was that he was a farmer. That is a life well lived.

And you can’t be a farmer alone; a farmer takes a family. Thank you very much for sharing Mr. Miller with us.

The member for Timiskaming–Cochrane.

Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance of the late Mr. Douglas Jack Wiseman, with five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group, and five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government.

The member for Haldimand–Norfolk.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Douglas Jack Wiseman, who was the MPP for Lanark during the 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd and 33rd Parliaments and for Lanark–Renfrew during the 34th Parliament. Mr. Wiseman’s family is watching the tribute from home this afternoon.

The member for Timiskaming–Cochrane.

It’s an honour to stand here today on behalf of our Ontario Liberal caucus to pay tribute to Mr. Gordon Irvin Miller, Liberal MPP for the riding of Norfolk from 1975 to 1990. And we all heard that right: 1975 to 1990, a Liberal MPP in Norfolk. That in itself probably says a lot about Gord Miller.

Now, I obviously never had a chance to meet Mr. Miller, but you get to know people by going through articles and talking to other people. I know that he was raised by his family in Jarvis, Ontario, and he and his brothers, Bruce and Bob, took over the farm from their father. Fittingly, as we said earlier, that farm is on the road that’s named after him, the Gordon Miller Trail.

He started his political career as a school board trustee in 1960, and he was a trustee from 1960 to 1967, followed by many years in municipal politics—town councillor from 1978 to 1981, reeve from 1971 to 1973, regional councillor from 1973 to 1975, and deputy mayor of the city of Nanticoke in 1975.

As if that wasn’t enough, when the residents of Haldimand–Norfolk weren’t happy about the two-tiered government that was pushed on to them by the Conservative government of the day, Mr. Miller decided to run in the 1975 provincial election to have his constituents’ voices heard at Queen’s Park. He went on to win by over 2,000 votes over incumbent MPP Jim Allan, who had held the riding for 23 years. He was re-elected in 1977, 1981, 1985 and 1987, and served as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation.

From what I gather, he cared deeply about his community. He was a community builder. He was someone who wanted—and we’ve heard it here today—to make his community better, and the work was fun. That’s a good sign.

As the Hamilton Spectator puts it, Gord was “the quintessential good neighbour.” What a nice legacy.

Mr. Miller was named the 1990 Jarvis Citizen of the Year.

Again, as if all those other things weren’t enough, he was a Sunday school superintendent, member of the Haldimand–Norfolk United Way, advocate for Crime Stoppers and chair of the West Haldimand General Hospital Foundation. It was a life full of service that I won’t say is unmatched, but it’s up there, near the top of the kind of service that we’ve spoken about in this community, with some members here who have passed away.

Aside from being a politician, he was a big-time sports fan, a coach, a player, interested in baseball and hockey.

I think it’s really important, when someone serves 30 years in public service—and the family is here today—to thank the family for allowing their father and grandfather to serve his community. We all know that in that kind of service, it takes you away from the things that you—where you want to be, who you want to be with, sometimes. It’s a big sacrifice. It’s a big sacrifice for us as members, but it’s an even bigger sacrifice for our families,

So to his son Doug; daughter-in-law Flora; grandsons Jamie, Geoff and David; granddaughter Meghan; great-grandchildren Brynn and Mason, thank you.

And on behalf of the Ontario Liberal caucus, I want to thank Mr. Miller for dedicating his life to public service. Thank you.

Applause.

The member for Kingston and the Islands.

I rise today to pay tribute to the former member for Lanark, Douglas Wiseman.

Doug is survived by his beloved wife, Bernice, whom he married in 1951, his three children, Clifford, Karen and Robert, his three grandchildren and his two great-grandchildren. He is also remembered by his siblings, Dave, Walter, and Colleen.

I know that his son Robert, daughter-in-law Julie and grandson Austin are watching from home, and I want them to know how honoured I am to say something about Douglas today.

Born in 1930 in Smiths Falls, Ontario, as the son of a farmer, Doug enjoyed the allure of small-town Ontario. Before beginning his career in politics, he made a living as a farmer, developing a prominent cow-calf business at Chaloa Acres in Perth. His dedication to the community was evident in his work on the Perth public school board for 12 years and as chairman of the Perth retail business association for three years.

In 1971, Doug was elected MPP for the constituency of Lanark, where he remained until 1990. During his time in office, Doug held the titles of assistant to the Minister of Health, Minister without Portfolio, and Minister of Government Services.

Doug was an admirable member of Parliament who never feared speaking up against his own government, always putting the people of Ontario first.

His popularity amongst the people did not go unnoticed: A news story from 1984 detailed an appreciation dinner for Doug selling out in just a few hours, leaving even some of his fellow MPPs without tickets.

In 1990, he said he was motivated to step aside because he wanted a younger, newer face to represent the newly expanded riding of Lanark–Renfrew. After stepping down, he was able to spend more time with his family and continue to pursue his shoe store and real estate businesses. Though the decision was difficult, it allowed him to return to his roots and spend his retirement from politics doing his favourite things: being with his family at the cottage or working on his farm.

Doug Wiseman passed away on August 1, 2020, at the age of 91. On behalf of all of my Liberal caucus colleagues, I wish to say that he will be missed. May he rest in peace.

It’s an honour for me to give tribute today to Doug Wiseman. I grew up in Lanark county, so Doug Wiseman was a household name and a highly respected MPP in my area.

MPP Doug Wiseman considered a handshake a precious commodity, its value determined by the reputation that preceded it. Suffice it to say, Doug Wiseman spent a good measure of time shaking hands and garnering the trust of the people he represented in the riding then known as Lanark and later as Lanark–Renfrew.

A farmer and small business man born, raised and educated in Lanark county, Doug served as chairman of the Perth retail business association and as member and chairman of the Perth public school board.

When elected to the Ontario Legislature as MPP for Lanark in 1971, Doug Wiseman was hailed by his constituents as a hard worker with a thoughtful, compassionate regard for the people and the land he called home; a man of boundless curiosity who, despite his quiet demeanour, stepped up to the plate when challenged by conflict and controversy. When MPP Wiseman went to bat for the concerns and needs of his constituency, he was in for the full nine innings and as much time as it would take. This drive and passion to serve his constituents continued throughout his political career, from the 29th to the 33rd Parliaments of Ontario.

MPP Doug Wiseman knew how to work with all levels of government. Some of his accomplishments included grants to Carleton Place and the village of Lanark under the Ontario Neighbourhood Improvement Program. A member of the justice and management board committees, Chairman of both the small business committee and the regulations committee, he also left his mark as a member of the Board of Internal Economy.

In November 1975, he was appointed parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health, and he served as Minister of Government Services until 1983.

In 2012, he was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

Doug Wiseman’s genuine love of life informed his ability to engage in constructive debate and productive conversation with colleagues and constituents of every stripe. Good friend and campaign manager Ron Stronski remarked that Doug was as much at home ferreting out kitchen table stories in Lanark county farms and village homes as he was representing his riding at Queen’s Park. Ron was telling me that when they were on the campaign trail in Lanark Highlands and Ron would be driving Doug’s Buick—as big as a boat, he recalled—and the instructions that Doug gave him were, “Just keep driving until I say stop.” Doug said, “Stop.” He got out of the car and went around to the trunk, opened the trunk up and got his rubber boots out and took off across the field to speak to a farmer. When he came back, he said to Ron, “That was a worthwhile conversation.”

Doug loved rural people, he loved rural Lanark, and he loved being the MPP in our area.

One of my other constituents recalls, as a little boy, meeting then-Minister Doug Wiseman. Doug had time to speak to the boy. “Unassuming, soft-spoken, just a plain nice person” is his recollection of meeting Doug Wiseman.

He excelled not only on the political front, but on the home front. He was the beloved husband of Bernice “Bunny” Wiseman, a brilliant, forthright companion and accomplished nurse who co-managed a host of entrepreneurial endeavours, including a privately owned hospital and a successful chain of shoe stores, Wiseman’s Shoes.

Together with their children, Clifford, Karen and Robert, the Wisemans nurtured a thriving family farm, renowned for prize-winning Charolais cattle. Named Chaloa Acres, the Wiseman farm was and is a well-known landmark in Lanark county. It was here and at the family cottage on Bass Lake that time was well spent and greatly cherished.

Doug Wiseman passed away on August 1, 2020. His wife, Bunny, passed away two years later, in April of this year. They are both greatly missed in my home community of Lanark county.

If character, compassion and good grace are the mark of true wisdom, then it can be said that MPP Doug Wiseman lived up to his name.

Applause.

It’s an honour to be able to rise today and pay tribute to Douglas Jack Wiseman on behalf of the official opposition. He passed away on August 1, 2020, in his 91st year. As I was doing the research for Mr. Wiseman—I never had the opportunity to meet him, but I very much enjoyed doing the research. He had a long career of public service—but one stuck out to me that I didn’t think anyone else was going to talk about, and I think I would like to, in honour of him, talk about something that obviously he loved. He was, for a period, the chair of the eastern Ontario Charolais association, and in the 1960s and 1970s he bred many prize-winning Charolais cattle.

Just a brief history of Charolais cattle: They’re a beef breed that actually were introduced into Canada in 1959 and were recognized as an official breed in 1960 in Canada. So to be a breeder of prize-winning Charolais in the 1960s and 1970s—that was groundbreaking.

Not everybody here is going to know what a Charolais cow looks like. If you’re driving down a country road and you see a beautiful herd of almost-white, tan beef cattle, likely those are Charolais, and many other beef cattle have been influenced, because Charolais bulls were often used in British beef breeds to put—for lack of a better word—more meat on them. If you think that politics is partisan, you should get into a meeting talking about whether Charolais, Herefords or Angus are the best breed. I am sure that Mr. Doug Wiseman was heavily involved in that, being a part of the Charolais association.

But to be there that early is incredible, and prize-winning bulls and prize-winning cattle at that time—it’s still a really tough business, but now there’s DNA testing, genomics. But back then, it was a true art to be able to raise a prize-winning show animal which would later develop the whole breed. That’s something that was really important to him, and I think it’s something that should be mentioned in this House.

In his career in the Legislature from 1971 to 1990, one of his many roles—he was Minister of Government Services, and he, according to media reports, identified some issues in his ministry for which he lost his portfolio. He identified issues that needed to be identified—and, not trying to be partisan, but sometimes the biggest fights, regardless of party, are within the party. He identified them and lost his portfolio and kept identifying issues that needed to be corrected. That’s something that should be also recognized. Coming from a farm—farmers aren’t the only honest people, but farmers are pretty honest. I think that should be recognized, too—for what he did.

When he retired, he sold shoes—and that became a chain of shoe stores. He did that, and his own community recognized the quality of person he was.

He had a long career in many levels of politics and spent many of his years here.

He made a great contribution to agriculture. I don’t think you can do much more with your life than that in 90 years.

I would like to thank his family for sharing him, not only with the province, but with the agricultural sector—sharing his talents with the rest of us. It was a life well lived. Thank you.

I have the privilege today of paying tribute to Lily Oddie Munro, a cabinet minister in the David Peterson government whose political journey began in my hometown of Hamilton back in the mid-1980s.

Lily Munro was first elected MPP for the riding of Hamilton Centre in 1985 after losing a by-election the year before by the slimmest of margins—just 64 votes. She was appointed Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Culture, the only woman in cabinet at that time. Two years later, following the Liberal landslide of 1987, she became Minister of Culture and Communications. She was an energetic, self-confessed workaholic who embraced cultural issues.

Lily Munro’s career certainly did not begin on a political path. After graduating from Delta Secondary School in Hamilton, she went to work as a secretary at Stelco steel. Munro remained at Stelco for 13 years. She then decided that she wanted to improve her formal education. She was driven and determined. At the age of 32, Lily Munro enrolled at university and earned not just one degree but three degrees, including a doctorate in educational philosophy. Following graduation, Dr. Munro worked as a psychologist. She became the director of the Centre for Continuing Education at McMaster University.

Lily Oddie became more engaged in politics when she began working for federal MP John Munro, a man whom she later married. John Munro once described his wife as a “tough fighter and a hard fighter.”

As Minister of Culture, she was a fierce proponent of funding for the arts and culture. She fought for funding to restore the Elgin and Winter Garden theatres because she desperately wanted to provide year-round employment for seasonal theatre staff. She weathered the storm around accusations of conflict of interest in the Patti Starr affair and brushed aside daily calls from the opposition to resign. Her staff called her “Tiger Lily.”

Lily Munro had deep roots in Hamilton. She immigrated to Canada from Britain with her family after the war. She served on various boards and committees in Hamilton that promoted the well-being of women, children and the disabled.

Lily Munro has been described as being shy and reserved, but those who knew her well say otherwise. She was spontaneous, energetic and warm.

At 80 pounds, she was a black belt in karate. I’m told that in an east-end Hamilton karate club, she once broke another woman’s ribs.

At the age of 60, Munro decided she wanted to ride a motorcycle. After getting her licence, she went on rides with friends to the United States. She gave up the bike at the age of 70, at the insistence of her son.

She was a woman with no reservations about getting up on stage in costume for roles in theatre.

Another time, the culture minister graced the front page of a Toronto newspaper dressed as a character from the musical Cats.

When the Hamilton Tiger-Cats won the CFL Eastern final in 1985, Munro led this House in an Oskee Wee Wee chant. In fact, Lily Munro was a staunch Steeltown cheerleader who raised Hamilton’s profile at Queen’s Park.

Decades after her high school graduation, Lily Munro was inducted into the Delta high school Wall of Excellence.

Lily Munro embraced life. She lived a long and full life. She passed away at the age of 83.

I want to thank her son, John, and grandson, Finn, for sharing their mother and grandmother with us. She was a woman who had Hamilton’s best interest at heart, and we are a better community because of her work.

We give thanks for the life and public service of Douglas Jack Wiseman.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Ms. Lily Oddie Munro, the MPP for Hamilton Centre during the 33rd and 34th Parliaments.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery today are Ms. Munro’s family and friends: her son, John Oddie; her former daughter-in-law, Mara Fabrizio; her grandson, Finn Munro; her cousin Lynn Larson; and her friends Robert and Doug. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I recognize the member for Flamborough–Glanbrook.

It is my honour to stand today to acknowledge the life and legacy of the late doctor, psychologist and MPP Lily Oddie, formerly Lily Munro, who served as the Liberal MPP for Hamilton Centre from May 2, 1985, to September 5, 1990, and who also served her community and Ontario on multiple legislative committees and as Minister of Culture and Communications and, later, Minister of Citizenship and Culture during her tenure.

I want to thank her family and loved ones here today in the Legislature: her son, John; her former daughter-in-law, Mara; her grandson, Finn; and Lynn, a wonderful cousin; her friends Robert and Doug; and, of course, Mr. David Warner, the former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Thank you to the family and loved ones of Dr. Munro for sharing her so generously and selflessly with the people of Hamilton Centre, with Ontario. This isn’t an easy job. It’s not easy work, and it’s often thankless. So thank you for sharing her with us.

While I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing MPP Oddie Munro personally, it has been quite rewarding of an experience getting to know her through the archive. It is clear to me that she was an incredibly strong woman and, even through political trials and tribulations, she proved herself as exactly what her former husband, MP John Munro, once described her as: “a tough fighter and a hard fighter.”

It’s like the great Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “A woman is like a tea bag—you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in a little hot water.” I know a thing or two about having to be a strong woman in the face of adversaries and adversities, and it is clear to me that Lily, who at one point served as the only woman in cabinet, had grit. Because she and many other women MPPs were here, we continue to see more women exploring careers in politics, running in politics, not as afraid to hold their own and speak their truth.

MPP Oddie Munro was a newcomer in politics. Her very place in this building was a break from tradition, something she very much embraced. She was described as warm, spontaneous and compassionate. She reportedly dressed up on Halloween and, on her lunch break, would bop to the music in the park across the street. Her presence here was humanizing—a word not associated, frankly, with politicians, not then and not even now. She served with care.

She also had an eye on equity and the need to confront the exclusionary and often oppressive social structures that left certain groups of Ontarians behind. As the Minister for Citizenship and Culture, MPP Oddie Munro made it a top priority to “meaningfully enfranchise minorities who feel excluded from the power structure,” as reporter Marilyn Linton once noted. For her, “meaningfully” was the key word. This meant engaging with marginalized communities directly to find out what enfranchisement looked like for them, rather than making assumptions.

MPP Oddie Munro made it her mission to “unleash the talent that has been overlooked around this province for the past 43 years by an old boys’ network,” as reporter Joe Serge noted in a Toronto Star article back in 1985.

Here in Ontario today, with only 39% of women elected to this Legislature, we still have a long way to go. But make no mistake, MPP Lily Oddie Munro placed cracks in that glass ceiling, and us women here continue to do so.

She was also a committed advocate for culture and arts, working each day to prove that the sector is more than the fluff the old boy’s network made it out to be, or just a “frill,” as former Conservative Premier Mike Harris referred to it in future years. In her own words, “Culture is more than dancing, singing and 25th anniversaries. It is philosophy and values. If we put culture at the bottom of our list of priorities, it’s to our detriment in the end.”

In fact, Lily appeared as a cast member in the dress rehearsal of the Guys and Dolls show at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover, and she was also photographed dressed as a cast member of Cats, which was showing in Toronto at the time at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre—for which she advocated its full restoration.

It was this all-encompassing outlook towards arts and culture and her pioneering mind that helped amplify and uplift arts and culture into the economic powerhouse it is today. Her vision for Ontario’s film industry helped place our province on the map as a competitive hub for production. She was largely responsible for ensuring an arm’s-length relationship between arts organization, such as the OAC, and the government, which we know is fundamental to arts autonomy across Ontario.

Her work in protecting Ontario’s heritage continues to be felt across the province, including in my own community of St. Paul’s, home of the Maclean House, which was saved from demolition thanks to a strengthened Ontario Heritage Act under Minister Munro, at that time.

Her dedication to her community and a better world in Hamilton and beyond continued long after she left politics in 1990, through her career in social work and education, which included her work at St. Catharines YWCA and serving on the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Upon leaving Queen’s Park, she told the Spectator that, “All of us go into politics knowing we have to be tough.”

While this remains true, Lily Oddie’s legacy gives us a new definition of what it meant to be tough. Tough is also compassionate, it’s warm, it’s refreshing. It’s donning a tutu, dancing to Willie Nelson across the street.

MPP Lily Oddie Munro is a woman who had a black belt in karate and who, at 60 years of age, according to her son John, learned to ride a motorcycle. She loved to travel with her friends to the US, she loved life and she loved working hard for her community. What a life, I say. What a life.

Thank you for this opportunity to honour her today, and thank you once again to her family for sharing her with Ontario and Hamilton Centre.

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance of the late Ms. Lily Oddie Munro, with five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s government, five minutes allotted to His Majesty’s loyal opposition, and five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group.

The member for Beaches–East York.

I am honoured to be here today paying tribute to the Late Lily Oddie Munro and I’m thrilled that her family and friends are here in the chamber to hear all the beautiful accolades.

Lily served as the MPP for Hamilton Centre and firstly as the Minister of Citizenship and Culture, then was renamed as the Minister of Culture and Communications. At the time, under a Liberal government, she was the only woman sitting in cabinet. Lily was a champion for arts and culture in Ontario and saw the arts not as idle luxuries but as significant contributors to the economy. Arts matter.

Lily was born in Lancastershire, England, on September 27, 1931. She moved to Hamilton with her mother in 1942, where she graduated from Delta Secondary School before working at Stelco. She got her start in politics working for John Munro in Ottawa and went on to obtain degrees from Dalhousie University and Athabasca University, including a PhD in psychology. She worked as a psychologist and later as the director of the McMaster University School of Adult Education.

After an already robust career, Lily made the bold decision to run for office in 1984 in a by-election and went on to be elected in 1985. During her time as an MPP and minister, Lily worked hard to strengthen local organizations and projects, and diversity within the Ontario Legislature. She said, “We are a province proud of its multicultural identity, and I want that reflected in the backrooms and boardrooms of Ontario.”

I am happy to see the strides we’ve made towards a more diverse House since Lily served, but we still have much further ahead to go. I hope we can continue to diversify the voices that sit and speak in this chamber. Every person in Ontario should see themselves represented in this room.

Lily Oddie was a trailblazer for women in politics. At one point, she sat as the only woman minister in Ontario, and was rather outspoken about how she was perceived in this position. Her staff even referred to her as “Mr. Minister,” a dig at her impressive place in the boys’ club. As the wife of a prominent politician, she had to work hard to be remembered for more than just her husband’s name. She felt she couldn’t beat the system, so she joined it, changing the province from the inside out. Her legacy will continue through all the women elected to this legislature. I’m proud to stand here, knowing the sacrifices Lily and the other women who came before me have made so that we always have a place at the table.

As the Minister of Culture and Citizenship and, later, Culture and Communications, Lily had a unique perspective on arts and culture and was outspoken about an often-overlooked sector of government. In her words—and as the MPP for Toronto–St. Paul’s has mentioned—“Culture is more than dancing, singing and 25th anniversaries. It’s philosophy and values, and if we put culture at the bottom of our list of priorities, it’s to” the detriment of our world. That can’t be said enough. I echo this statement, as critic for culture, and appreciate the importance of these areas that she highlighted throughout her career.

Today and every day, we can remember Lily as a strong, resilient leader who brought a lot of needed attention to arts and culture in Ontario. I’m inspired by her hard work and advocacy and so strongly respect the work she did during her service as an MPP and minister. She sounds like a real character, so I feel her spirit lives on in here and will live on. May she continue to rest in peace.

We give thanks for the life and public service of Lily Oddie Munro.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to the former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Richard Patten, who was the MPP for Ottawa Centre during the 34th, 36th, 37th and 38th Parliaments.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery are Mr. Patten’s friends Barbara Jordan and her husband, Allan Morrison. Mr. Patten’s family is watching this tribute from home this afternoon.

I recognize the member for Nepean.