Hon. Rodger Cuzner: Honourable senators, I rise today to recognize the passing of a truly exceptional Nova Scotian and indeed a great Canadian. A much-trusted and beloved country family doctor who served the people of Pictou County for over 30 years, Dr. John Hamm took these same core values of care and compassion to his role as a member of the provincial legislature, the Leader of the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Party and, inevitably, the Premier of Nova Scotia.
My relationship with Dr. Hamm was forged in the early 2000s as the economy of Cape Breton was experiencing an existential shift away from its backbone industries of coal mining and steel production toward a future that was, at best, uncertain.
As premier, Dr. Hamm made the very tough decision to close the provincially owned and operated Sydney Steel Plant, while federally — along with my former House of Commons colleague Mark Eyking — we were faced with the reality of shuttering operations at the Cape Breton Development Corporation, or DEVCO — a federal Crown corporation.
The two greatest questions arising from these decisions were as follows: First, what would the economic future of our island look like? Second, what about the post-industrial cleanup?
Dr. Hamm was integral in working to develop the creation of the Cape Breton Growth Fund, a federal-provincial pool of capital focused on strategic investments that were designed to help with retooling our local economy.
Our island continues to recover from that paradigm shift, but we are certain that his efforts have put us on the right path.
As for the industrial legacy of mining and steelmaking, we worked together, along with the community stakeholders, to remediate the Sydney Tar Ponds, a site once referred to as “North America’s worst toxic waste site.” Today, this site is pristine, serving as host to both commercial and recreational infrastructure.
However, my admiration for Dr. Hamm was not just because of his ability to do the right thing and make difficult decisions. Senators, it was the manner in which he carried out these duties: always with honesty, integrity and respect for all those involved and impacted. Dr. Hamm had a natural ability to disagree with somebody, sometimes profoundly, yet still with respect.
He could stand firm on his principles without questioning the character of those who saw things differently. Those qualities that made Dr. Hamm a trusted family physician were the same ones that he brought to the premier’s office. This celebrated leader and Member of the Order of Canada understood that public service was first and foremost about the people.
God knows Dr. Hamm’s decency and civility would be warmly welcomed into much of today’s public discourse.
Colleagues, know that our province has lost an accomplished premier, a good man and one whose example is very much worth remembering.
Thank you.