Honourable senators, this is Women’s History Month, Rosh Hashanah, and Monday was National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Yesterday, as we just heard, was World Ostomy Day, as well as International Wrongful Conviction Day. Tomorrow is the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. October 17 is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. October 18 is Persons Day and — well, you get the picture.

We need to think about and acknowledge marginalization and oppression and lift up the work of those whose lives have been dedicated to overcoming and remedying injustices.

I pay tribute to friends who have devoted their lives to working with and on behalf of too many who are left behind, ignored and/or forgotten. Fabulous women such as Dr. Bev Jacobs and Bridget Tolley — like our colleague senator Michèle Audette, the former president of the Native Women’s Association of Canada and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls commissioner; senator Mary Jane McCallum, senator Brian Francis and many other survivors of residential and day schools; and family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls — are working with generations of inspirational young leaders like former third vice chief and current chief candidate of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Aly Bear, and her brothers, Dray and Dalyn.

We must all work together to address the significant racial, gender and economic inequalities in Canada today by implementing the Calls for Justice of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry, especially for a national guaranteed livable income to eradicate poverty and the many other calls from that and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action to increase equality, not to mention improve mental and physical health, lower health care costs, lower victimization, crime and incarceration rates.

As we recognize this month, these days and the work of so many amazing individuals and groups, we also congratulate our colleague senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, Speaker Greg Fergus and the Honourable Murray Sinclair, who are being honoured this weekend with Nation Builder and Lifetime Achievement awards.

Congratulations, and thanks to all of you in this chamber, in the gallery and beyond for your work, your decades of service to all of us. We thank you for leading the way to prevent, relieve inequality and oppression. Let us follow your lead and strive to make bold changes that are capable of addressing long-standing, systemic discriminatory attitudes, biases and institutions.

Canada is a rich and diverse country that can weave a strong and flexible tapestry of social, economic and health systems that leave nobody behind and provide opportunities for people to rebound out of personal, systemic and historic challenges and oppression, and not only support all but ensure that every person in this country can be fed, clothed, housed, educated and, most importantly, that they can thrive.

Meegwetch, thank you.