I’d like to take this opportunity to say a few words of remembrance for our dear friend Geoffrey Paul Church, who passed away suddenly on February 29.

Geoff and I met in high school. We had a lot in common. We both skied, had part-time jobs in grocery stores, loved music and all those other things that teenaged boys like to do. We had a lot of fun together and somehow managed not to get into any really serious trouble.

It was Geoff who first introduced me to Linda back in high school. He had known Linda since grade school. It’s something that we’re both still very grateful for. He was the best man at our wedding.

Geoff met the love of his life, Joey, and they remained together until her passing in 2018. I was the best man at their wedding. They were godparents for our daughter Kirsten. After leaving Ottawa, Geoff and Joey lived in Halifax, Charlottetown, the island of St. Croix and Picton. The island life appealed to them.

Here are some words from Geoff’s sister Pam:

“He was such a sweet guy. Boating, aircraft, guitars and classic rock history were Geoff’s passions. There may never again be someone who knows more about the artists and albums of classic rock. He also took up playing guitar as a teenager and amassed quite a beautiful guitar collection. He was working on a custom guitar build the day he passed away. Boating, especially sailing, and working on boats was a way that Geoff loved to relax.”

To his sister Pam and brother-in-law Glen, you were both so very good to him. To his nieces and nephews and his many friends, we will all miss Geoff, and we know that he is now reunited with his beloved Joey.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Thank you very much, Speaker. As you know, next week is Remembrance Week here in Ontario, which was made law by the efforts of MPP Jim Wilson. I was proud, with Cheri DiNovo, to co-sponsor that bill and for Jim to ask us.

All of us next week will be back in our communities at cenotaphs, Legions, churches and long-term-care homes, and we’ll all be remembering the sacrifices of people past and present for our freedom, for our democracy.

I got up this morning to iron my shirt and I found this little note that was written by my mother-in-law—not appropriate to today, but it was my mother-in-law and I always like to talk about her today, so it was a bit unusual. You see, my mother-in-law, Yvonne, had four brothers. They all fought in World War II. Three of them, Bill, Neil and Jim, all came home. Her brother Ansley didn’t. She was closest to him in age. She loved him, not just like a brother but a friend. He died at Dieppe in August 1942, on the beaches—actually, in the water.

My mother-in-law is such a great example of not forgetting, because for more than 70 years, she kept his picture. She kept his picture on her dresser. Every day, she looked at that picture—every day for more than 70 years. I guess this morning was a reminder not to forget that. Thankfully, she left that for me.

That’s what we have to try to do, even if we don’t have a picture: every day, remember the sacrifices of people who gave up everything—everything—so we can be here actually doing what we’re doing today.

Saturday will be the first day of Remembrance Week here in Ontario. It’s that time of year when we remember and reflect on the sacrifices of so many in both small and great conflicts over the years. Their sacrifice was the price of the freedom and the rights we all enjoy today.

One of those who paid the price for us was Robert Ansley Cavanagh. He died at Dieppe on August 19, 1942. He was 19 years old. He was my wife Linda’s uncle, the one she never met. More importantly, he was the brother and best friend to my mother-in-law, Yvonne. His loss was devastating for her. She loved him dearly and never got over it, and for almost 80 years she had his picture by her bedside, right up until the day she died. She never forgot. We have that picture now so that we’ll never forget.

These are turbulent times in our world. We are seeing the rise of fascism with Putin’s attack on the people of Ukraine and all those other conflicts that are happening in the world, and throughout the world whenever we see an effort to take away fundamental rights and freedoms from people it requires all of to us stand up.

It’s important for all of us to remember that our way of life, our democracy, things like our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, were purchased with the blood and sweat and lives of women and men like Robert Ansley Cavanaugh, and the tears of people like my mother-in-law, Yvonne Hooper. We must never forget.