Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been a long week of doing eulogies, and today it will continue. Today, I would like to speak about a beloved member of the community of Fort Simpson who passed away late last week. Peter B. Shaw moved to Fort Simpson in the 1980s. Before moving to Fort Simpson, Peter had travelled the world. After his arrival to town, he called Fort Simpson home, and hardly travelled outside very much.
Some of Peter's most memorable commitments to the community included the Santa Claus Parade, the Memorial Day Poppy Sale, and Memorial Day Celebration as part of the Canada Day Parade. Peter was the first member of the community to initiate the Santa Claus Parade, and it is thanks to him that the residents of Fort Simpson enjoyed it every year.
Peter was a member of the volunteer ambulance services in Fort Simpson for many years. Peter would respond to calls alone when no one else could accompany him. His commitment was unmatched. A current member of our community, Mr. Calvin Spencer, moved to Fort Simpson and was trained by Peter as a maintenance operator, as Peter was the maintenance operator for the then Department of Public Works for the federal government. Calvin recalls Peter's commitment and helpful. If he called him at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning for assistance with boilers, he was there in a heartbeat.
As a businessman, Peter was a big supporter of the Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce. He really supported local businesses and liked to see members of the community thrive. Peter ran a large craft shop for a number of years. He would buy traditional Aboriginal crafts from all over the Deh Cho to sell in his store. Not one soul in the region who did crafts would be turned away from Peter's door, and he saw the value in every piece he purchased. Peter would go so far as selling tourists crafts that they did not have money for, with the promise of them paying the bill later on. Peter's faith in humanity was so large that he received the promised payments from the tourists after their departure.
Sometimes Peter would not even mark up the crafts from his purchases. He hardly made any profits and would even have a hard time parting with the crafts he sold. Unfortunately, Peter's store burnt down with all those beautiful crafts and artefacts. Back in the day, Peter had the first video rental store in Fort Simpson. He was a river monitor, staying up late hours of the night, ensuring that he was the first to respond. Peter had a love of the nature and was able to feed ravens out of his own hand.
Peter's lasting marks on the community will never fade. Anyone who has ever met Peter will promise you he did not have a mean bone in his body. He treated everybody with the same kindness and respect and was respected and loved in return. The staff at Nahanni Inn were his family, and his seat at the coffee shop will always remain known as Peter's spot. He passed on after leading a peaceful life as a very humble man who sought no recognition. We will sadly miss him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
