Honourable senators, I rise today to give voice to a tribute to our esteemed New Brunswick colleague and my fellow Arctic traveller, the Honourable Joe Day. The voice I bring into our chamber is that of our former Senate colleague — your friend and mine, Joe — Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire. This is from General Dallaire for you, Joe:

I entered the Senate my very first day amazed by the historic atmosphere of that chamber and the portraits of the past in those great tableaux. I was led to my seat, and who do I find sitting in the seat behind me but none other than my class senior from military college, Joe Day — no longer an officer cadet, nor a lawyer, but a senator. What a sense of confidence I felt seeing my elder — by a bit — my colleague and my loyal friend.

Joe and I sat in those seats for 10 years. From time to time, we had some lively debates to move our democracy forward, and we enjoyed the occasional chuckle together when frivolous arguments were presented to the Speaker of the Senate.

And on occasion, my old military buddy and I would stand together feeling the pain of the cost of peace, decided in this chamber and the other place and impacting families and members who serve out these incredibly powerful decisions of life and death.

Senator Joe Day, with diligence, with an exemplary work ethic, with a sense of duty and with attention to detail, served well beyond the norm of what is expected of a member of the upper chamber. Joe served on a number of committees, never shirking work, and was one of the better senators to keep the mailroom busy. And Senator Joseph Day never forgot his military roots as he continued to serve not only on the Defence Committee but also giving so much of his energy and his heart to his alma mater and the men and women of Canada’s Armed Forces.

Over the years, he has never lost his sense of humanity or his passion for serving our country and its people. Senator Joe Day is a man who has served honourably, honestly and with all the talents God gave him.

I miss Joe Day. The Senate will miss Joe Day. But his fellow compatriots will thank him; of that I am sure, as Joseph Day is most deserving today of the accolades of his Senate colleagues and the appreciation of all Canadians.

Senator Day, I leave you with this tribute from your dear friend and brother, Roméo Dallaire.

Many thanks to our colleague and friend.