As I sit here writing this editorial; it is extremely difficult for me to share my feelings with my readers. However, I will try and hopefully by the time that I am finished writing, my thoughts will be a bit clearer.
Relief, yes! Anxious, yes! Hopeful, yes! Humbled, definitely so! Looking forward to an exciting future for Canadians, definitely so!
On June 20 2018, Minister Duncan; Minister for sport and disability issues kept her promise when she rose in the Canadian House of Commons to introduce the accessible Canada Act. Previous to this, she had fervently promised to all of those listening that she would do so and this she did. She did it just before the House of Commons recessed for the summer thus giving many onlookers some very heart wrenching moments and even some of us would say today that we almost suffered mild heart attacks.
Never the less, she delivered and I was one of those who she had personally promised that she would deliver the long awaited legislation to the House in the late spring.
I was not personally on hand when Minister Duncan rose to introduce the accessible Canada Act; I was sitting at my computer thousands of miles away in the Caribbean waiting anxiously for my friends to tell me and this they did. I got the news at around
3:40 pm and for one brief moment everything started to spin and then my world stopped for that very split second.
Yes, it was true! I was reading correctly! First from Thomas and then from Anthony! Then the tears started to come slowly but surely! We had done it!
As they often say, try once, try twice, and then the third try will succeed and this is exactly what happened in this case.
As the late Richard Quan said when we won a court victory in November of 2010; “A landmark victory for all Canadians” and I am very sure that he would have said it again. And I was just so humbled to be a part of this once more as I was in 2010.
Now the real work begins and I along with many others will be working to ensure that we make the most of this grand opportunity. Huge bouquets go out to Ministers Duncan and Qualtrough, to Prime Minister Trudeau and his Government, and to the thousands of Canadians; within the Government and across the country for having helped to make this a reality.
My two cents worth for today.