Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise today and pay tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of the people of Flamborough—Glanbrook and the greater Hamilton area. However, I do so with a heavy heart. First and foremost, we, her loyal subjects, offer our most sincere condolences to the entire royal family. May strength be given to all of them at this time.

In the next few minutes, I would like to share some of the thoughts that people in the Hamilton area have offered me in the past week as they grieve the loss of our Queen.

Her late Majesty officially visited Hamilton three times during her lifetime: first, as Princess Elizabeth, in 1951; then twice as Queen, in 1959 and 2002. Each time it was an honour for our city to receive her. Her late Majesty was colonel-in-chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, a regiment based in Hamilton.

The hon. member for Durham just spoke about the very special bond the Queen had with the Argylls and the Argylls had with the Queen, and her very deep caring on the tragic events of 2014 with the shooting of Nathan Cirillo of Hamilton. The Argylls featured prominently in all her visits, most notably in her Golden Jubilee year, 2002, when she presented them with new colours at a large public ceremony at what was then Copps Coliseum in downtown Hamilton. While the ceremony was all service and duty for which she was known, her charisma shone through while she spoke to the overflowing crowd, and in her individual conversations with veterans, her broad smile always told the story.

Please allow me to convey the reflections of the people of Flamborough—Glanbrook and beyond. Over the course of the week, constituents have shared their recollections of their encounters with the Queen, whom they love so much. One lady has a View-Master disc, and some of us will remember what those are, of the Queen's coronation. She holds this in her memory and treasures it very much this week. Another constituent remembers meeting the Queen as a Brownie under the Girl Guides in Edmonton.

Treasured photos are on display or have been taken out from the drawers in which they have been tucked away. They are of grandmothers, uncles and aunts dressed in their Sunday best to be presented to Her late Majesty. For so many, the Queen's annual Christmas message is a warm memory; it is often there where her best qualities of compassion, charm and wit were most evident.

I have also heard from descendants of United Empire Loyalists and they have a natural bond and a natural affinity with the monarchy. They are so proud that Queen Elizabeth II upheld that institution with such grace, composure and elegance, during what were often trying times for our world.

In addition, those affiliated with the Argylls continue to express their eternal gratitude to Her late Majesty for visiting each time she was in Hamilton, for caring so deeply at the tragedies they experienced and for making them such an important part of her life as their commanding officer.

If I may add my own memories to those of the constituents whom I have been honoured to represent and speak on behalf of here, I was also blessed to meet Her Majesty in 2002. It was a 12-day Golden Jubilee tour of Canada during which she was celebrating 50 years on the throne.

The Government of Ontario at that time held a large royal reception at the National Trade Centre in Toronto. People lined up on both sides of the aisle as the royal couple made their way around the room. While my own time with our beloved Queen was not more than a quick hello because on the opposite of the aisle there were people with horses, and she was naturally drawn to speak to those people to see the horses, as that was one of her loves, I did have a more fulsome conversation with Prince Philip, and he exuded all the charm that he was also known for.

In fact, the tie I am wearing today is the tie I wore that day in 2002. I bought it especially for the royal visit, and it has remained one of my favourites ties, even more so now. This is the first time I have worn it since her passing, and I will continue to think of her, as I do today, every time I wear it.

I will close with the thoughts of a successful woman and leader from Hamilton who remembers the Queen for much more than the service and duty for which she has been so rightly credited. This woman, now in her early forties, is leading an important organization in her chosen profession, and for her, the Queen has always been a role model all of her life, a woman in a powerful leadership role that she could look up to at a time when that was so rare. I know this same point has been made by members on both sides of the House already in the past couple of days, but I think it bears repeating and amplifying.

For this individual, and doubtless millions of girls and young women, the Queen was an inspiration. As head of state, her constant presence told them that they could dream big and do anything. Therefore, even though she was born into this royal role, and she chose to define it from the outset as lifelong service and duty, she broke that glass ceiling at a time that it just did not happen. It is that major accomplishment that has stuck with the young woman who I spoke with the other day, and it is the enduring memory of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We will miss her dearly.

In a world where the pace of change accelerates by the day, she was a constant. We now look to his Majesty King Charles III, to whom I pledge allegiance, to carry on that legacy.

May God save the King. May God continue to bless Canada.

Dan Muys

$608,573.00