Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):

Honourable senators, only my fellow Nova Scotian, Senator Lowell Murray, stands in the way of Senator Stollery being Dean of the Senate. However, Senator Stollery's career on the Hill began long before he came here in 1981.

In 1972, he was elected to the House of Commons for the riding of Spadina. He was then re-elected on three subsequent occasions. In the other place, he served as Chair of the National Liberal Caucus and then as Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State and Minister of Communications, our colleague the Honourable Senator Fox.

As a senator, Senator Stollery served with distinction on several Senate committees, including the Special Joint Committee on a Renewed Canada and the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. He chaired that committee during the hearings that led to the critically acclaimed 2007 report on sub-Saharan Africa.

Up to this point, what I have described sounds like a fairly traditional political biography. However, as we all know, Peter is anything but traditional. His unique approach to the world began early in life when, in 1958, he left his home in Toronto and did not return for three years. During that time, he visited 75 countries and covered 75,000 miles.

He taught school for a year in Algeria at the North African headquarters of the French Foreign Legion. He then set off across the Sahara in the heat of July, a feat he was often told was impossible. He made his way across the Horn of Africa, at first in a little Renault and then, when that gave out, on foot, hitchhiking for a ride on the tops of trucks or with locals curious about this crazy Canadian who was walking across Africa.

He supported himself in part by writing a series of articles for Maclean's. His first article in April 1961 was captioned "Nomad in the Sahara," and the photograph on the magazine cover of the bearded, unkempt desert traveller gave no hint of his future membership in the upper chamber of the Parliament of Canada.

The next year, he returned to Algeria in what turned out to be the violent, last days of French rule in that country. As he wrote in his dispatches for Maclean's, "they were an appallingly fascinating object lesson in how not to govern or to live."

That experience gave Peter a unique perspective on the importance of a healthy political system, and the consequences to individuals and entire societies if those who govern do not govern well.

Senator Stollery's curiosity of the world knows no bounds, whether it is the habitat of wild mushrooms or understanding the psychology of bonefish. As a result, he probably has the most eclectic list of qualifications and associations of anyone in this chamber, from membership in the Mycological Society of Toronto to being a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society to being a licensed crane operator, and that is only part of the list.

However, his greatest passion is his desire to understand people in Canada and throughout the world.

Peter, you will be sorely missed here. It is difficult to imagine how you can be replaced, but I suspect that you are already planning an interesting and unusual next stage for yourself. Our best wishes to you as you explore new worlds, whether fly-fishing, canoeing in the Arctic or trekking across Siberia.

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Hon. David P. Smith:

I rise to pay tribute to Senator Stollery, whom I have known for many years. As honourable senators have heard, he first came to the House of Commons in 1972 and was elected four times. Then on July 2, 1981, a day that will live in history, he came to the Senate. I actually remember a chat the day before, on Canada Day. I will never forget that chat.

Senator Stollery and I share some characteristics — not all, and I will let you decide which ones. Peter Stollery is truly unique but in a nice and special way. He is very much a Torontonian. Stollery's has been at Bloor and Yonge forever, and 100 years from now, it will still be there. He is eccentric, but a likeable eccentric. A raconteur, Peter Stollery gives new definition to that word. His stories could fill many encyclopedias.

Senator Stollery is well travelled, but you have already heard about that. Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama and Magellan were amateurs by comparison. Mind you, they did not have airplanes then, but many of the places Peter visited, he travelled by boat and even motorcycle, and I believe even biked a bit.

Peter knows every inch of Latin America, whether it is tangos in Buenos Aires, sidewalk cafes in Panama or the Andes, he has been there. I cannot think of any parts of Europe Peter has not been to, not to mention remote little parts of Russia and all these former Soviet Union places. I have heard the stories and they are great.

We heard about Algeria and North Africa. I read a lot of those articles Senator Stollery wrote in the late 1950s, when it was a little tense there for a while with the French colonies and de Gaulle. I could go on about the Orient, India and the South Pacific, but in a phrase, Peter has been everywhere.

Senator Stollery is good company. He is articulate. He is a hard-working and dedicated parliamentarian. He is an experienced retailer. I mentioned Stollery's, which is about a block from where I live, because I am a Torontonian as well. Peter knows everything about shirts, and even men's underwear. Peter can feel a fabric and tell you exactly where it came from; he is that good. Peter is a pro and fun to be with. He will be missed.

Senator Stollery, I thank you for the great legacy that you have left to the House of Commons, Senate, Canadians and even Torontonians.

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Hon. Rose-Marie Losier-Cool:

Honourable senators, I too wish to express my regret as we say goodbye to a wonderful colleague, for whom I have a great deal of respect, and whose wisdom and experience will be sadly missed beginning next week.

As was mentioned before, to say that Senator Stollery is a well-travelled man would be a silly understatement. Is there a country on this earth that he has not visited, with or without his trusty bicycle? I would love to know.

However, this interesting fact is probably the main reason behind Senator Stollery's vast knowledge and intuitive grasp of world issues, which made him such a valuable member and chair of our Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

That landmark committee report on Africa, tabled in 2007, served to remind Canada and the rest of the world of the importance of our Senate and the quality of the work we do. That report also came at a time that was a turning point in the evolution of our modern world, when foreign aid to Africa was being recalibrated and our government was establishing its new policy on international development.

I shall miss Senator Stollery's urbane manners and his dapper style, sometimes eccentric but always with taste. I shall also miss Senator Stollery's very human approach to relationships and his respect for French, my language.

Senator Stollery was always very proud to speak with me in French.

While I know Senator Stollery will be quite happy keeping in shape and fly-fishing in his new life after the Senate, I suspect he will miss this place, just as we will miss him quite a lot.

My dear colleague, thank you for everything and all the best as you begin this next chapter of your life, as a "Maytag man." We look forward to seeing you again.

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Hon. Francis William Mahovlich:

Honourable senators, I would like to make a comment about Senator Stollery. To my mind, Senator Stollery is what a senator should be. I felt very comfortable with him from the first day we met.

I knew the Stollery family in Toronto. I knew the men's store. I shopped there occasionally. I knew his uncle, Art Stollery, very well.

We travelled together a few times, and I knew that Peter had great knowledge about almost everything. As a matter of fact, we were at meetings in India, and during the meeting, some of us would look out the window and point out the different birds that were flying around. I thought I would catch him —

Senator Stollery: It was close.

Senator Mahovlich: While in New Delhi, I said to my wife: I think I got him here. I am going to ask him a question. We were going down to breakfast and I cornered Senator Stollery, and said: Who was the great British architect that helped design this great town of New Delhi?

Peter started to squirm. He moved around in his chair and started to talk to himself, and he talked and talked. After about a minute, Senator Stollery said: It was not Lutyens, was it? Gosh, that was the answer, and he got it.

I happen to have a Lutyens bench up at my cottage. I have okayed it with my wife, and we intend to invite him up there one summer. We will both have a chance to sit at this Lutyens bench.

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Hon. Wilfred P. Moore:

Honourable senators, it is my true pleasure to rise and pay tribute to the Honourable Peter Alan Stollery, world explorer, journalist, taxi driver, businessman, member of Parliament, fisherman, bread maker — and I suspect butcher and candlestick maker, but I have no proof of such — teacher, stove repairman, bibliophile, linguist, roofer and senator — a Renaissance man.

Renaissance men thirst for knowledge. Knowledge, as we know, is power, and Peter Stollery possesses that power to a degree that I have rarely encountered. He did not settle for books as the sole source of his knowledge. His approach to life has been scientific in that he did not only read about the world, he went to experience it, feel it, see it and touch it.

To say that his life experiences have been rich does not begin to scratch the surface of his journeys: riding elephants through Asia, hitchhiking through Europe, driving through North Africa, travelling with the French Foreign Legion, and biking through Russia and Central America — living through life.

It is no surprise then that our former colleague Senator John B. Stewart once remarked of Peter Stollery, "he will make what seems to be an out of left field remark about a certain subject, which over time invariably ends up being true."

Senator Stollery has served this chamber and the other place for 38 years — 38 remarkable years — and he has done so with an élan that probably will never be duplicated.

The office that I occupy is across the hall from that of Senator Stollery. That closeness has enabled me to hear of his exploits and to enjoy his learned insights as we tried to rationalize some of the world's problems. I shall truly miss those conversations.

Of his many works, I must applaud Senator Stollery for his chairmanship of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade and its Africa Report, surely one of the most important and poignant studies ever undertaken by the Senate of Canada.

I thank you, Senator Stollery, for sharing some of your life with us in this place, and I await news of your future travels. In closing, I refer to the words of the late Senator Harold Connolly:

Can I praise you who could at once protest you have only done what you have been called upon to do? Would you not argue that the rewards which have come to you in satisfaction of heart and soul, if not in material things, have more than compensated for any services you have given? And yet, I must risk your protest. You have given so much and asked so little that surely you are entitled to know something of the esteem in which you are held. In the hearts of those you have served, there is stored up for you a wealth of gratitude. Voiceless it may be but it is all the more tangible therefore, surpassing far anything that could be inscribed upon a page or built of stone or marble. I remind you of this because it is your due.

Bon voyage, Mr. Chairman.

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Hon. Mobina S.B. Jaffer:

Honourable senators, I rise before you today to pay homage to a friend and colleague, the Honourable Senator Stollery. Senator Stollery has served in the upper house for 29 years. During that time, his hard work has positively impacted the lives of many people in Canada and abroad. When I was first appointed to the Senate 10 years ago, Senator Stollery was among the first to welcome me. He shared sage advice that continues to be extremely beneficial for me. In addition to being a valued friend, Senator Stollery was also a great mentor. I learned a great deal from him while we sat together on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I admired his dedication and commitment to the committee.

Senator Stollery, your knowledge and wisdom on this committee will be greatly missed. You may be leaving this chamber this month, but you are leaving behind all the timely and wise advice you have given us over the years. The skills you have taught me will stay with me for a long time, and I thank you for your help.

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Hon. Percy E. Downe:

Honourable senators, I wish to join those paying tribute to Senator Stollery today as he prepares to leave the Senate. I hesitate to describe it as retiring because, frankly, retiring is not a word that I would associate with Peter Stollery. I have worked with him on the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, studying a wide range of countries and issues. Like many, I came to appreciate his energy and drive through those countless meetings, and I think we can all agree that the fine work of the committee during that time was due in no small part to his efforts.

His perspective has been unique. Though a lifelong reader, he believes that the best way to learn about a land and its people is to go there — preferably on a bicycle — and to talk to as many people as will listen. From the Sahara Desert to the jungles of Panama and the Russian countryside, Senator Stollery's travels and experience have informed a world view and emphasized his first-hand knowledge.

Whenever the committee embarked on a regional study, Senator Stollery was always the strongest advocate for travel. To be sure, this advocacy was not out of some abiding love of hotel accommodations and airline food. It grew out of the belief that, notwithstanding the importance of witness testimony, if we want to truly know a place, we have to see it. He was usually proven right, and many a library researcher had to rework a draft report based upon what senators saw and heard on their fact-finding missions.

I recall during our Africa study when I received a package of information from the Library of Parliament. Among the documents was an article about Algeria written for Maclean's magazine in the early 1960s by a young Peter Stollery. Rich with local detail, it was written from the perspective of one who had lived there — someone who both knew and cared about the region and its people.

This passion has by no means diminished over the years, as anyone who worked with him on the Africa study can attest. Similarly, his enthusiasm for the China, India and Russia study reflects his belief that Canada should always be looking outward and always be eager, as he is, to explore new opportunities.

He once described his first experience in Africa as a "curious young Canadian traveller overland on his own." Now older but no less curious, we can only wonder what paths he will pursue now that he no longer has to heed the bells.

To conclude, Honourable senators, I congratulate Senator Stollery for almost four decades of public service. Someone will fill his seat, but he will never be replaced.

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