Uqaqtittiji, I am privileged to represent Nunavut in honouring the work of the Hon. Gail Shea. I did not know Gail personally. I send my condolences to her family, her friends and, I am sure, her wide-ranging community.
One of the privileges that we gain as parliamentarians is how much we learn about Canada, Canadians and the hopes and strengths we see for our future. I have learned that Gail Shea, who died on August 21, was a trailblazer in Canadian politics and that she was a devoted public servant and a proud Islander. Gail Shea's legacy will long be remembered across Prince Edward Island, Canada and abroad.
I am told that Gail Shea's journey began in Skinners Pond, a small fishing community that shaped her values and her unwavering commitment to service, which included her serving as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 2000 to 2007 and being the member of Parliament from 2008 to 2015 for the riding of Egmont. She brought those values to the legislative assembly, where she served with distinction and shattered glass ceilings as the province's first female minister of transportation and public works. Her leadership continued on the federal stage, where she made history as the first woman from Prince Edward Island appointed to the federal cabinet. As minister of fisheries and oceans, and later as minister of national revenue, she championed rural communities, stood firm for Canadian industries and always put her constituents first.
Gail Shea was known for her strength, her warmth and her fierce dedication. She was a mother to five children, Sally, Kelly, Sandy, Holly and Shawn, a grandmother of 17, and a mentor to many more. Her colleagues across party lines remember her as someone who could “move a mountain” and who “never...forgot where she came from”.
I have learned that Gail Shea and I have a common sense of pride for the strengths of our constituents, especially in the sealing industry. During a time when the sealing industry experienced such controversy because of lobby groups, she showed great leadership. Was I ever pleased to hear what she had to say about the sealing industry: “I can tell you that this incident actually strengthens my resolve to support the seal hunt. If this is what it takes to stand up for Canadian sealing families and this industry I'm certainly very proud to do it.”
I have learned that she has remarked that this was one of the lower points in her political career, and to hear that later shows that she had great strength. This quote captures her spirit. She was unapologetically principled, deeply rooted in her community and proud to stand for what she believed in.
Gail Shea's legacy is seen in our continued work, in the policies she helped shape and in the lives she impacted. She showed us that politics can be both fierce and compassionate. She showed us that leadership means listening, serving and never forgetting where we come from.
May her children, who I mentioned earlier, continue to provide warm and welcoming gatherings with lots of great seafood and continue to welcome visitors to their beautiful island. I am aware that in her memorial, in lieu of flowers, they had requested, and I do suggest this as well, that donations be made to Children's Wish Foundation and Community Hospital O'Leary's palliative care wing.
On behalf of the NDP, we hope she rests in peace.