81

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF 2: 30 o'clock, Tuesday, February .8,1966.

Opening Prayer by Madam Speaker MADAM SPEAKER: Presenting Petitions MR JAMES COWAN, Q. C. ( Centre): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of the Community Chest of Greater Winnipeg, praying for the passing of an Act res­ pecting the transfer of the assets of the Community Chest of Greater Winnipeg to the United Way of Greater Winnipeg. MADAM SPEAKER: Reading and Receiving Petitions. Presenting Reports by Standing and Special Committees. MR. R. 0. LISSAMAN (Brandon): Madam Speaker, I wish to present the Report of a Standing Committee of the House on Municipal Affairs. Due to the fact that the report will be circulated to Members of the House almost imme­ diately, I believe, and its a rather lengthy report, we might dispense with the reading. MADAM SPEAKER: Notices of Motion. MR. LISSAMAN: Madam Speaker, I beg to move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Morris, that the report of the Committee on Municipal Affairs be received, and I will give notice of concurrence at a later date. Madam Speaker presented the motion and after a voice vote declared the motion carried, MADAM SPEAKER: Notices of Motion. Introduction of Bills HON. DUFF ROBLIN (Premier) (Wolseley): Before the Orders of the Day are read, Madam Speaker, I should like to perform a task which is traditionally undertaken at the beginning of each session, in which we record our appreciation for the service rendered the House of the people of Manitoba by former members who have died since we last met, and on this occasion there are six names that I will present to the Assembly in this connection. The first of these is the name of the Honourable John Stewart McDiarmid, formerly Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Manitoba. I thlnk there are a good many in this House who sat with Mr. McDiarmid when he was a member of thls Legislature and will know some­ thing of the character of the man whose memory we honour today. Like so many distinguished Manitobans, he was not only of Scottish descent, he was actually born in Scotland. He came to this country as a young man and made his way successfully in the business world. In public life he served in many capacities - as an alderman; as a member of the Federal Parliament; as a member of this House, as a very distinguished Minister of the Crown in several port­ folios; and latterly in the post of Lieutenant- Governor of the Province of Manitoba; and I think that everyone will agree that he filled those various responsibilities with becoming dis­ tinction that lent credit to himself and reflected on the activities with which he was connected. He was a man who had a great affection for this province and a profound faith in its future, and in his portfolios as Minister of Mines and as Minister of Industry and Conimerce he had opportunity from time to time to give expression in a very eloquent way to his hopes for the Province of Manitoba, and he did his part to make those hopes come true. His family are well known to us all here, distinguished citizens of this province, and I know that all members will join with me in offering to his wife and to his three sons our profound expression of sym­ pathy in their loss and our sincere tribute to his work and contribution to our life in the province. And so I would beg to move, and I associate in thls motion the Honourable the Leader of the Opposition, that this House convey to the family of the late Honourable John Stewa�t McDiarinid, who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly, its sincere syinpathy in their bereavement and its appreciation of his devotion to duty in a useful life of active commu­

nity and public service, and that Madam Speaker be request· ed to forward a copy· of tliis resolu- tion to the family. MADAM SPEAKER presented the motion. MR. GILDAS MOLGAT (Leader of the Opposition) (Ste. Rose): Madam Speaker, I wish to thank the First Minister for the courtesy extended to me to allow me to second this Motion. I did not sit inthe House with the Honourable Mr. McDiarmid as I came into the House immedia­ tely following the election in whlch he had chosen not to run, but I 'did get to lmow the gentleman very well in the following years. He was certainly a distingUished Manitobari, an extremely courteous and plea'sant man. ltis name will go down in the history of Manitoba for his many accomplishments atva:r'ious levers of goverriilieht. It win go dowri in the political history ofthe 82, February 8, 1966. (MR. MOLGAT, con't) .... party that I lead in that he was one of the first Liberals who joined the progressive movement in Manitoba to form the Liberal Progressive coalition which continued under the leadership of my colleague the member for Lakeside until 1958, and in this way, Mr. McDiarmid, I think, performed a very useful work in the political life of that particular party, and I wish to extend my condolences to the McDiarmid family, of whom, in turn, have taken part in public life in Manitoba. MR. RUSSELL PAULLEY (Leader of the New Democratic Party) (Radisson): Madam Speaker, I would wish to associate the New Democratic Party in the tribute to the late John McDiarmid who served Manitoba with distinction both in the political field and also in the field of a representative of the Royal House in England. It was in the latter capacity that I had the most to do with the Honourable John McDiarmid ·and I found in him a true Manitoban, a true Canadian, who recognized all of the peoples of the province and of the Dominion as being equals under one common bondage to the monarchy, one common bondage in the interests of humanity. So, Madam Speaker, it is with regret and yet with a sense of pride that we of the New Democratic party associate ourselves in this message of condolence to the family of our late departed friend. MR. ROBLIN: Madam Speaker, I now refer to Daniel Roy Hamilton, affectionately known to all of us as 'Roxy', and I think the· word •affectionately• is very appropriate to use in connec­ tion with Roxy Hamilton, because above ordinary men, he had a gift for friendship. There can be no one here who knew him who did not admire, respect and truly like this remarkable Manitoban, because Roxy Hamilton was born in this province, he was born in Neepawa if my memory is correct, and was associated with that area and with the town of Dauphin for many years. He was prominent and his family was prominent in the hotel business in that connection. He served in this Legislature for about twelve years and I think he made a very particular place for himself as the representative of the people of northern Manitoba. He sat for the constituency of Rupertsland and he knew it as very few people do. He not only was interested in promoting its physical development, but he took the most sincere interest in the people of the constituency, particularly those of Indian and Metis origin. He was responsible for a school being built which was named after him, for the education of children in that area, and in every way 1n which he could, he regarded himself as a very special representative in this House for the people of the North and his contributions to the debates in those connections were memorable, as I can testify from personal experience. He was a man of wide interests in other fields - sports particularly attracted him - very prominent in the horse breeding associations of Mani­ toba; keenly interested in racing and in the development of that particular activity. But above all it was the milk of human kindness that ran through his veins and the friendly way in which he responded to every approach that marks him in my mind as one of nature's gentlemen. I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Hamilton very well and can testify to the kindness and to the friendly way in which he always treated me. He leaves behind him his wife, and I think two brothers, and I am sure that the House would wish to have expressed to them our deep feelings of sympathy in their loss and our appreciation for th