Tuesday, April 4, 1967

L. George Dewar: (Second Prince)

Mr. Speaker, my remarks at the present time will necessarily be brief but I take the opportunity of congratulating you on your position in the House. It is certainly a pleasure to have one of your own neighbours and a fellow citizen of West Prince, a gentleman of your urbanity and good common sense in one of the more important positions in this House, and I am sure you will discharge your duties in in quite a commendable manner. It might not be amiss if I were to remark that you might bear in mind that the members of this Assembly are supreme and responsible only to the citizens of the province whom they represent, and that any Committee of this House, and I include the honourable gentlemen opposite, who are members of the Executive Committee of this House are subservient to the Assembly and, as any servants must be exposed to careful scrutiny at all times of their actions. they must be mindful of the fact that they are responsible to the Legislature and to the members of this Assembly and should not expect any preferential treatment at all as far as the day-to-day conduct of the business of this House.

I might mention also in passing that we regret the passing of the Governor- General, M. Vanier, and it is certainly a privilege to be able to say that in our vicinity, our part of the province, we have a park which is called after M. Vanier and I must commend the Minister of Tourism, I believe it is the Minister of Tourism, in his report to this House that he included a photo or picture of Vanier Park on the cover of that report and I think it is a very fine attractive, pleasant and well patronized park. one of the best on Prince Edward Island, and I would certainly commend the honourable gentleman who was instrumental in instituting that park. He is not a member of this House at the present time. He was Minister of Industries and Resources and we regret that this winter he was indisposed and in the hospital for sometime and I had the priv- ilege of visiting him there. And I refer to Mr. Dougald MacKinnon, who was formerly an important member of this House. (Applause) I brought it to the attention in this House and in private discussions with the Minister at that time that I felt that this area which had been noted by the Alberton and West Prince Board of Trade as a desirable spot for a park. I brought it to the Minister’s attention that he should do something about developing a park in West Prince. The honourable gentleman went to the trouble of travelling up to West Prince and looking at it and coming into my residence and telling me that he thought I was right that it would make a very suitable park. He wondered if it would be possible to rent the land in order to develop it. I said, “Well it might be and that I would see the owner." I spoke to the owner and he said, “Yes he would certainly rent it and it wouldn't cost them any money either to rent it.” Sometime later the Department started developing Vanier Park; it wasn’t known as that at the time. I believe that the Department of Industries or Parks. Provincial Parks is still a little reluctant to have it known as Vanier Park. I think perhaps they should change their attitude in this respect because I think it is a very worthy name and one which I think quite applicable to the park. It is also known of course as Green Park and quite a historical place in the history of industry in West Print. and also as “The Pit.” I must commend the Department of Highways who instituted a new road into the gravel pit which makes it unnecessary for the

traffic to travel through the park in order to get at the very fine deposit of gravel which is in that area also.

Lloyd G. MacPhail: When was that done?

L. George Dewar: Probably it was done under your dispensation honourable member.

Walter R. Shaw: Of course it was.

Honourable Robert E. Campbell: It was done after the 28th of July last year.

d L. George Dewar: Anyway it is done and somebody deserves the credit for oiag it.

L. George Dewar: I would bring it to the attention of the Minister of Tourism also that he could do not better than to expand this facility along the Mill River there and provide there the golf course which he has promised to the people in West Prince County.

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