Statement from His Worship Leonard Krog on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II

STATEMENT - Distributed September 8, 2022 4:35 PM

For most Canadians like me, Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch we have ever known, a constant presence in an ever-changing world, and the person for whom we sang “God Save the Queen” with real feeling.

Since her coronation in 1953, she worked tirelessly with devotion to unite rather than divide, to serve rather than be served, and to uphold the standards of her office in a manner that is a model for all leaders. For 70 years of unrelenting commitment to upholding the British Constitution, Queen Elizabeth II demonstrated grace, charm, wit and keen intelligence, even in the face of existential threats to her nation.

The era of the Greatest Generation is passing. The people who withstood a crushing global economic depression, followed by World War II and the lasting effects of that conflict, have grown old, and most have passed away. Now their greatest leader has gone, too.

We are called now to honour and respect the woman who set and achieved the highest standards of civil behaviour and understood the necessity of making personal sacrifices for a greater good. We would not be the people we are today without that example of leadership.

On behalf of City Council, I offer my condolences to the Royal Family on this somber occasion.

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