Bambi’s heart is heavy… She just read the sad news from Moncton in the CBC (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/claudette-bradshaw-dies-72-1.6399).
She sends her condolences first to Ms. Claudette Bradshaw’s family as well as to her close friends, former colleagues, former staff, Canada’s scientific community, healthcare providers, and families affected by or supporting individuals with the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). What a loss for Canada and for us in NB in particular… What an impressive chapter that is turned!
Indeed, Ms Bradshaw has been a high-calibre Liberal federal politician for many years. She was the Minister of Labour, Minister responsible for the Francophonie, Minister of State and also Minister responsible for homelessness (https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/claudette-bradshaw(134)/roles).
She was competent, authentic, and devoted (i.e., people-oriented, principled, etc.). With all due respect to all the good politicians of the entire world, the honourable Claudette Bradshaw was something else. Thanks to her for all what she has done for her country and people.Thank goodness her legacy will stay with us. Her memory, both political and human, will surely be eternal.
Indeed, Ms. Claudette Bradshaw has inspired MANY Canadians, including Bambi. Among her significant contributions, we are all grateful for her incredible championship for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, across the country, and particularly here in her native New Brunswick.
There is a reason why there is an award in her name by the prestigious CanFASD or “The Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network (CanFASD)”, which is a “collaborative, interdisciplinary research network, with collaborators, researchers and partners across the nation. It is Canada’s first comprehensive national Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) research network. It started as an alliance of seven jurisdictions and operated for seven years as the Canada Northwest FASD Research Network.”
In honouring Ms. Bradshaw, if she may, Bambi would like to publicly “re-tell” her what she had the chance to express to her privately here in Sackville at one of the editions of the Mount A Breakfast Chats she used to annually organize in the community and moderate: She is a fan and she was grateful to how she (and her spouse) kindly immediately accepted Bambi’s invitation to the event. They drove to Sackville on an early Saturday morning in slightly challenging weather. Ms. Bradshaw was a great listener at that event. Toward the end, she also actively participated, enriching the discussion among the 50+ community members and and the talented speakers (experts in the FASD field).
Of note, participants of this event may likely remember, like Bambi, a comment made by Ms. Bradshaw. Her words have impressed at least two participants from the nearby Nova Scotia. They contacted Bambi after the event to express their sentiment. In their mind and in Bambi’s, it is rare in life to hear some professionals (e.g., dentists) praising the work of another colleague (who worked on the teeth of their patients before them). In the same way, it is often very rare, and thus refreshing, to hear a politician speaking highly of their political opponents. This is what Ms. Claudette Bradshaw elegantly and honestly did: In one of her comments, she mentioned in a positive way the budget surplus her Ministry (of Labour, if Bambi recalls well) inherited from the former government (i.e., of Mr. Stephen Harper).
To honour you/your memory Ms. Claudette Bradshaw, if she may, Bambi would like to offer you the Time to Say Goodbye ‘s song by Mr. Andrea Bocelli and Ms. Sarah Brightman.
May your memory be eternal. May your family members find peace in their hearts with every passing hour, day, week, month, year. As for us Canadians, may we have the chance to elect politicians of the calibre and decency of the honourable Claudette Bradshaw…
May her soul Rest In Peace ??