Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to my dear friend, a proud Cape Bretoner and a true servant of the people, Alfie MacLeod.
Alfie was more than a colleague in public life. He was a man of deep conviction, boundless compassion and unmistakable wit. A long-serving MLA and Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, Alfie dedicated his life to the people of Cape Breton, always putting community first. He was first elected in 1995, returned in 2006 and served until 2019. As Speaker from 2007 to 2009, Alfie brought fairness, humour and dignity to the role, but it was outside the chamber, at fire halls, church basements and charity auctions, where Alfie’s love for his community truly shone.
Alfie faced his battle with cancer the same way he lived his life: with courage, resilience and a twinkle in his eye. He was a family man, a friend to many and a fierce advocate for Cape Breton. My wife Anne and I offer our deepest condolences to his wife Shirley, their children Daniel, Jessica and Sandra, and his grandchildren. Alfie’s legacy will live on in the lives he touched and the community he so dearly loved.
I bid rest well to my friend. He deserves it.