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Legislature bids farewell to Roger Parent

It was a sad final day of the fall legislative sitting Wednesday, Nov. 30. The news had broken that Roger Parent, MLA for Saskatoon Meewasin, had died of cancer in hospital.
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It was a sad final day of the fall legislative sitting Wednesday, Nov. 30.

The news had broken that Roger Parent, MLA for Saskatoon Meewasin, had died of cancer in hospital.

Parent’s cancer was made public knowledge only the previous day in the news media.

In the wake of the news, the final Question Period of the fall sitting was cancelled. Instead, extended time was allowed for statements of condolence from both Premier Brad Wall and opposition leader Trent Wotherspoon, as recorded in Hansard.

Wall was emotional as he spoke of Parent, whose seat in the legislature was draped with a Saskatchewan flag.

Hon. Mr. Wall: — “That in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee we may glorify thy holy name and finally, by thy mercy, attain everlasting life.” These words you just led us in in the daily prayer that begins each proceeding, Mr. Speaker. Though sometimes the routine of a prayer can rob it of its petition or its aspiration, but not today, Mr. Speaker. For in that prayer, in those words, rests the hope we have for the family of our friend Roger Parent, for Saskatoon Meewasin — that last evening, when he passed away, was not the end. For his family gathered in this House today, this legislative family, it is where our hope rests, too.

Before I go on, I want to thank the hon. Leader of the Opposition. He came to my office this morning to extend condolences on behalf of his team to me, for my team, for this team, for Roger’s team. That was appreciated. And we’re also wanting to say thank you to the Leader of the Opposition and the caucus opposite for their co-operation in allowing for this tribute.

There are many titles represented in this venerable Chamber. Yours is quite a title, Mr. Speaker. The Leader of the Opposition, Premier, ministers of the Crown, whips, House leaders — all impressive as titles go, perhaps. But none as great and none as honourable as those few among us who can honestly and credibly be called constituency men or constituency women.

Roger Parent was a constituency man. He worked hard to serve and to represent the people that sent him here. He never forgot the people that sent him here. Most discussions I had with Roger would involve him saying something like,”you know what I’m hearing; or, my people are saying.” And when Roger said that to you, you knew that that was exactly the case because he would have just been talking to them. He would have been door knocking. He would have seen them about the community. He would have been returning phone calls. And he would then be, in those conversations, giving voice to his constituents. And then he would advocate for them, sometimes for their individual plight or their individual case, and sometimes on broader policy matters that he believed might uplift the station of the people that he called his constituents.

He was a constituency man who was very proud of the diversity of his constituency. Members on both sides of the House will know that that part of Saskatoon, like other parts of our major cities, there are so many newcomers that have moved there. And in his very first speech in this House — it was the 6th of December, 2011 — he talked about those newcomers.

… He was a constituency man who found all of the challenge and all of the honour that any of us might seek from our vocation in the job that he had earned. In my one-on-one meetings with Roger, we would canvas what his aspirations were, or I would ask him what else might he want to do in politics. And he said, “Well I’ll do whatever I’m asked,” but he said, “I’m happy being an MLA.”

He said to me, and I remember he said, “It is an honour to be an MLA.” You know, that’s a rare thing in politics today. I was surprised to hear it the first time. He said it subsequently to me that, when we had other meetings, and I shouldn’t have been surprised that that was what he wanted to do because he worked so hard to do it. He ran four times, twice unsuccessfully. The last one very, very close, and some would have at that point been discouraged and probably decided to do something else, but he kept at it, battling in a contested nomination and then winning the seat, and then winning again.

He was a constituency man. But he brought a provincial perspective as well. His priority was an economic one. He believed  … we really did need to focus on the economy, that that was the best way to ensure long-term quality of life for not just his constituents but people around Saskatchewan.

In that same maiden speech in December of 2011, he offered a series of touchstones to his vision. But the very first one he mentioned is that his objective, his goal, his vision would be that this province would be a province of 1.1 million people by 2015, and I am glad he lived to see it.

… Before politics, Roger used his skills and his training as an economic development professional, and I was in the economic development profession at the time he was involved in the Saskatchewan Economic Developers Association. And I was too — not as involved as he. But his priority was Aboriginal economic development. He was proud of his Métis heritage, and he was determined to be a part of uplifting all people through opportunity.

Roger was a constituency man, but he had his other passions, as we all do. He loved to hunt. He loved to golf. He was a left-hander like I am, but that’s where the similarities ended because Roger was good. He was also pretty good at swinging a hammer. He’s very good at home improvement. He shared projects with me, and this was a passion of his.

But here lately, seeing him beam about his grandson Nash betrayed the fact that there was a new passion, a greater passion. Nash is the son of his daughter Shanaya and her husband, Kyle. And those of us who have worked alongside him and those who knew and loved him best I know will resolve this day, and all the days forward, that they’re going to ensure Nash knows the quality and character of his grandfather.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, he invokes the peace that passeth all understanding. And what he meant by that, clearly, is that there are for certain profound losses, certain sudden tragedies, where there ought to be no immediate peace for anyone that’s endured them — that we could understand, at least — and so then we might want to pray for the peace that passes understanding. So whatever our tradition today and whatever our faith, that is what we must do for Sheila and her family, whom he called … his rock, and for all who mourn Roger.

And still there is the assurance of the psalmist who said, sorrow lasteth the night, but joy cometh in the morning. We know it will take much more than one night, Mr. Speaker, but we pray today that the sorrow and the loss that Sheila and her family feels, that we all feel, will soften to longing and then to wistfulness and then to good memory and then even to smiles and, yes, to joy that we got to know Roger, that we were able to work alongside him, and that they had the chance to love him and be loved by him.

So to the member for Saskatoon Meewasin, Roger Parent, thank you for your example. Thank you for being a constituency man. Thank you for your hard work, your humou, and your humility and your servant’s heart.

The Speaker: —I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. Wotherspoon: —Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Eloquent, thoughtful words from the Premier here today, emotional and passionate words for definitely a good person within this Assembly and within our province.

I think it’s important to say that we mourn together and we stand together. And this will be a different type of day here in this Assembly here today. We get engaged in battles often in this Assembly that are very important, some battles that aren’t that important. But today, to properly mourn this sitting MLA, this very good person, we lay down those battles and we remember him properly.

It’s a sudden and devastating passing of a sitting MLA of this Assembly, of a very good person, of a very good family man. And I didn’t get the chance to know Roger to the level that the Premier and others opposite would have. I appreciate the stories that are shared here today.

But in the experiences that I had with Roger — and in fact they were many, often quite brief exchanges — I found an affable, gentle, caring individual, something that I think is sometimes lost in the whole discussion of what happens in this Assembly and how we engage in the discussions that are relevant to our province, that many in this Assembly engage in as people and citizens. And while heated moments occur on this floor and through question period, as they should, there’s a humility and a humanity that many members bring to their work, and Roger’s certainly one of those individuals.

… It’s fair to say that cancer has touched all of us. And I understand that the final battle had complications and other matters and, I believe, a stroke as well. But I think, as we remember Roger, we also think of those all across our province that have taken on this battle with this terrible disease, all of those that are currently battling this terrible disease. And I think we each think of those within our own lives for whom have taken on this battle and for whom have been lost.

At this time our thoughts and prayers are simply with the family. And, Mr. Speaker, finally I do want to offer our deep condolences to all members opposite in that entire caucus — a very difficult day and a very tragic loss. Our sympathies and our care rest with each and every one of you for losing this valuable member of this Assembly and a good colleague, I know.

So, Mr. Speaker, we’re thankful for the life of Roger Parent.

The Speaker: — Would all members please rise for a moment of silence.