Honourable senators, it is a great honour for me to rise today to congratulate our esteemed colleague, Senator Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler, on receiving the 2025 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Asian Women of Winnipeg. The celebration of this achievement comes at a very opportune time since June is Filipino Heritage Month in Canada.

This honour was also bestowed on International Women’s Day and reflects not only Senator Osler’s exceptional service to Canada but also her enduring commitment to equity, inclusion and transformative leadership.

The Asian Women of Winnipeg is an organization founded to empower, educate and elevate women across Manitoba. Its mission is rooted in values we all hold dear: mutual respect, diversity and equality.

Filipino Heritage Month is an occasion to highlight the achievements and experiences of the third-largest Asian community in this country.

Born in Winnipeg to immigrant parents from the Philippines and India, she has forged a path that continues to inspire women of all backgrounds. Senator Osler is an internationally renowned surgeon and a dedicated advocate for health and health care. From her groundbreaking work in medicine as the first woman surgeon and the first racialized woman to serve as President of the Canadian Medical Association to her current leadership in this very chamber, Senator Osler has continuously broken barriers and then built bridges for others to follow.

She is also the chair of our Canadian Senators Group, where she brings precision, attention to detail and an excellent skill set she has brought from her career as a surgeon. She reminds us that leadership isn’t just about personal achievement. It’s about changing structures so that others can thrive.

As I’ve said before, when we throw off the shackles of caste and class, we can liberate our minds and experience, as Canadians, the totality of Canadian history, what it means to be Canadian, what it means to truly unleash the potential and promise of this great country.

In recognizing Senator Osler’s remarkable achievements during the Filipino Heritage Month, we also acknowledge its broader importance in shaping the future of a strong and prosperous Canada.

Gigi — Senator Osler — your voice, your work and your unwavering advocacy enrich not just this chamber but this country. It is an honour to call you both a colleague and a friend.

Thank you. Meegwetch.