Madam Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise today to pay my respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. She was the only monarch that I have ever known and I am saddened by her passing. This will be a time of great adjustment, not just for our institutions and our country but for individuals like me.

Much has been said over the past week as the world has been mourning her passing, and many words have been said right here in this chamber over the last two days. Rather than repeat a bunch of facts, I want to share my own personal connection to the Queen.

I did not grow up in a privileged home where my father had regular audiences with the Queen. Rather, I grew up like most Canadians, in a modest family, learning about the Queen in school. I remember singing God Save the Queen with my classmates every morning in school to start the day. I also remember my parents telling me that they sang God Save the King when they went to school, which seemed so strange to me at the time.

I spoke with them just this week and they recounted how difficult it was for them to switch from singing about the King to singing about the Queen. Now, years later, I am the one who has to change my thought process from Queen to King. It is not easy. Of course my parents, who are now in their eighties, have to change back from Queen to King. It is going to take some getting used to.

Another connection that most of us have with the Queen is our money. Her image is on nearly every coin and bill that we use, as well as stamps and other forms of payment. I cannot imagine the complication and cost there will be to change that over, but I am sure it will take a long time. It will be very interesting, though, when we start to see those first coins, bills and stamps with the image of the King rather than the Queen.

Another connection we all share are the visits she made to Canada. The Queen visited Canada more times than she did any other country. Her Majesty's first visit to Canada happened right in my constituency of Saskatoon West during her time serving as Princess in 1951, before she became the Queen. She would later go on to visit Saskatchewan five more times in her capacity as Queen, creating a strong bond with the people of my province.

She visited Canada a total of 22 times. One of these visits was particularly meaningful to me.

Her last visit to Canada was in 2010, and I had the privilege of being in Ottawa during that visit. Through a connection with my MP, the member for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, I was able to get tickets for a garden party at Rideau Hall where the Queen would attend. Given that there were hundreds of people at this event and she was 84 years old at the time, I was not sure how close I would get to her. To my amazement, she and Prince Philip made a lengthy walk through the garden, stopping to chat with many people.

My moment of fame was a fleeting glance. The Queen and I locked eyes for just a second as she slowly walked past me and my wife. Obviously she could not speak with everyone, and that fleeting glance would have to do for me. In that glance, I felt her warmth and I felt her caring. Prince Philip followed behind her, as he always did, and he stopped to talk with a veteran nearby. I was able to listen in on that conversation and experienced the care that he had, especially for veterans.

I also attended the massive Canada Day rally on Parliament Hill where the Queen was present and spoke. I remember the moment she arrived on the Hill. I was looking up at the Canadian flag on the Peace Tower, and I glanced away for just a second. When I looked back, I saw the monarchy flag up there. I still have no idea how they changed the flag so quickly. She must have had some very special powers. The Queen certainly had a way of making everyone feel important and cared for, whether we saw her on TV, walked past her or shared a moment's glance. I am sure many Canadians can relate to this.

Through times of triumph and disaster, the Queen has always been there for Canadians. She was there in 1967 for our centennial anniversary and in 1982 to sign the historic proclamation of Canada's Constitution. She also guided former prime minister Brian Mulroney in his work to abolish apartheid in South Africa and to free Nelson Mandela in 1990. One of the Queen's final acts was to issue her condolences to the people of Saskatchewan and the people of James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan after the tragic events of the Labour Day weekend.

Now we start a new chapter, one with a King instead of a Queen. I congratulate King Charles III on his ascension to the throne, and I look forward to all the changes that will happen over the next few years, like seeing the King on our currency and our stamps. However, for now we mourn the Queen, a Queen who has served the Commonwealth through seven decades and 12 Canadian prime ministers, including Saskatchewan's very own John Diefenbaker. In fact, in 1957, during Prime Minister Diefenbaker's first year in office, Queen Elizabeth visited Canada and read the Speech from the Throne herself.

In a world of constant change, she was the one steady figure that Canadians could rely on. Hers was a life well lived.

I know that I speak for all of my constituents back home in honouring the life of a Queen who gave so much of herself for the Commonwealth. I offer her family my sincerest condolences and the condolences of everyone in Saskatoon West.

May Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace with her beloved husband by her side, as always. Long live the King.

Brad Redekopp

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