Members of Manitoba’s legislative assembly gathered in the chamber Dec. 13 to pay final respects to their late colleague Thompson MLA Danielle Adams, who was killed in a collision on Highway 6 Dec. 9.
The NDP and Progressive Conservative House leaders and Liberal MLA Dr. John Gerrard placed Adams’s photo and a basket of flowers in front of her seat in the legislature, then draped a Manitoba flag over the chair.
The Pas-Kameesak NDP MLA Amanda Lathlin said her fellow northern MLA sometimes had to be reminded to turn off her politician switch and just be herself.
“She would always be advocating,” she said. “She was the hardest-working MLA. She was only here for two years she did a lot for her community. She loved Thompson and Northern Manitoba. As a team, we’re going to continue the work that she would have wanted us to do.”
Ian Bushie, NDP MLA for the Keewatinook riding, which encompasses the province’s northeast section, said he spoke to Adams often because their offices were next to each other and that the rookie MLA brought idealism to the role.
“She brought that innocence and that thought - ‘Why can’t we dot this? Why can’t we do all this stuff?'" he said.
In addition to being a hard and passionate worker, Adams was also extremely family-oriented.
“She would always relate it back to my kids, my boys, my husband,” said Bushie.
NDP leader Wab Kinew said that late MLA embodied the party’s role as representatives of common, working-class people.
“In all aspects of both her life and work, Danielle embodied that,” Kinew said. “I hope her family and all her friends are very proud of what she did.”
“We’re going to miss her for all that she brought as that voice from the north,” said Flin Flon NDP MLA Tom Lindsey.
