Hon. Joyce Fairbairn:

Honourable senators, it is with great affection that I speak of our colleague Senator Vim Kochhar. I met and became friends with Senator Kochhar in 1999, shortly after I had represented the Canadian government at the Paralympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. Watching those athletes was very inspiring. Upon returning to Canada, I learned that, due to lack of funding, we may not be able to send a team to the next games and I promised to do whatever I could to help.

I sent fundraising letters to everyone I could think of. Senator Kochhar's Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons made a large donation. This went a long way toward enabling a Canadian team to compete in the 2000 Summer Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Senator Kochhar has been a true friend of the Paralympics ever since. He has never stopped his endeavours in this regard, and I am sure that he never will.

I extend my sincerest gratitude to you, Vim, and to your beloved soulmate Dorothy Price.

All in this chamber will miss you. I cherish our friendship and look forward to seeing what your next mission will be. I know it will be an exciting one. You can count on me to march along with you hand in hand, as we have done for years.

We wish you all the best, and we love you.

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