Editing Gilbert Parent (section)

==Political career==
Parent was elected to Parliament six times as a member of the [[Liberal Party of Canada]]. He was first elected in the [[1974 Canadian federal election|1974 election]] representing the riding of [[St. Catharines (federal electoral district)|St. Catharines]].  He was re-elected in the [[1979 Canadian federal election|1979]], [[1980 Canadian federal election|1980]]. Parent was defeated in the [[1984 Canadian federal election|1984 election]] as [[Brian Mulroney]]'s [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative Party]] swept to power, but regained his seat four years later in [[1988 Canadian federal election|1988]], and was re-elected in the [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993]] and [[1997 Canadian federal election|1997 elections]].

His riding's name was subsequently changed to [[Welland (electoral district)|Welland]], then [[Welland—St. Catharines—Thorold]] and finally [[Niagara Centre]]. Under [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Pierre Trudeau]], Parent served, at different times between 1977 and 1981, as [[Parliamentary Secretary]] to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, to the Minister of Labour and to the [[Minister of State (Canada)|Minister of State]] (Sports).

Parent was first elected Speaker in January 1994. In the House, Parent was forced into the challenge of presiding over a five-party Parliament that resulted from the emergence of the [[Bloc Québécois]] and the [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform Party]]. Upon being re-elected to the position in September 1997, he told the ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'' that he expected the different voices in Parliament, informed by strong opinions on all sides, would make the House the lively place it should be.

Parent died at [[Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto)|Mount Sinai Hospital]] in [[Toronto]] at the age of 73 of [[pneumonia]] while recovering from [[colon cancer]] surgery.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://montrealgazette.com/Health/Former+House+Speaker+Parent+dead/1349292/story.html
|title=Former House Speaker Gib Parent dead at 73
|work=Montreal Gazette
|date=March 3, 2009
|access-date=2009-03-04
|archive-date=April 8, 2023
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408034530/https://montrealgazette.com/Health/Former+House+Speaker+Parent+dead/1349292/story.html
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> He is survived by his brothers, Gerald Parent and [[Romeo Parent]], wife of 39 years, Joan Parent (née Davis), their 4 daughters, Michele (Dave) Hundertmark, Monique (John) Finley, Madeleine (Mark) Thomas, and Terri (Sandro) Perruzza and 13 grandchildren, and partner Sandra Page, 2 daughters and 1 grandchild.