There was a break in the partisan rancour in the legislature as two recently deceased British Columbians were fondly remembered.

NDP Leader John Horgan was up first, honouring Gwen Barlee, the long-time national policy director of the Wilderness Committee.

Here's what Horgan said:

"It's with great sadness that I rise today to mark the passing of Gwen Barlee. Gwen was the daughter of Bill Barlee, a member of this House, but she was much, much more than that. She was a tireless champion for the environment and a good personal friend of mine.

"Gwen always sought consensus and cooperation. It may not always have felt that way to ministers on the other side, but each and every day Gwen got up to try and make life a little bit better for herself, her community and, most importantly, the wild spaces and those that live there—the animals of British Columbia.

"Her biggest attempt to get species-at-risk legislation through this legislature may be something that we could look forward to as a legacy for her good works, but I also want to talk a little bit about how she fought through all of these challenges over the past number of years. She also contracted Lyme disease back in 2006-2007 and became an advocate for that disease as well. So it wasn't just the environment, it wasn't just protected spaces and protected species, it was: how do we address this health challenge here in British Columbia and, indeed, right across North America?

"Lastly, it would not be a tribute to Gwen Barlee if you didn't talk about her fierce competitiveness. If anyone ever had a deck of cards in their hand and thought that they could play Texas hold 'em, they'd never met Gwen Barlee.

"She was, through her Dad, a prospector of this and that across this great province. Bill was famous for his ghost towns and gold trails, and Gwen was with him as a child and continued on a passion for this great province, its great history and, most importantly, a little bit of blackjack and a little bit of cards now and again.

"I will greatly miss Gwen. Her colleagues at the Western Canada Wilderness Committee will miss her as well. I know she'll be missed by her mum Kathleen, her sisters Diane and Veronica, and by anyone in this House who ever had the opportunity to meet Gwen Barlee. It's a very, very sad day, but I believe we should all go on with her in our hearts and our minds as we bring forward legislation to protect those wonderful places that are so important to her."

Next up was Katrine Conroy, the NDP MLA for Kootenay West. She spoke about Christine Archibald, a former resident of Castlegar and Vancouver who was killed in a terrorist attack on London Bridge in the British capital. Here's what Conroy said:

"I rise to recognize Christine Allison Archibald, who was born July 22. 1986, in Trail, B.C., and died in London, England on June 3. Chrissy was predeceased by her grandfather Gerry Archibald and is survived by her fiancé, Tyler Ferguson; her parents, Barb and Greg; her sisters, Kathryn and Caroline; their husbands, Sean and Ty; her nana, Donna; grandparents Robert and Lorraine; and her aunts, uncles and cousins.

"Chrissy participated in the Russian bilingual program and the late French immersion program while in school. After two years at Selkirk College, she moved to Vancouver and graduated with a diploma in international business management. She worked for several years in Vancouver before following her heart and enrolling in the social work program at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Her practicum at Alpha House led to work in their shelter, responding to issues of addictions and homelessness.

"Recently she listened to her heart again, moving to Europe to be with the love of her life, Tyler. Living in the Netherlands allowed them to make short trips all over Europe, where they loved to visit museums, art galleries and restaurants. She was the happiest she'd ever been.

"Her family and friends will miss her big heart, good nature, girly ways and quiet courage and determination. Chrissy loved running, cycling, movies, books, makeup, lazy Sundays, musicals, cats, and Benny the dog. She valued all of her conversations with friends and enjoyed quiet nights.

"A celebration of life was held on Saturday, June 24, where once again, the family reiterated their wish to ensure that Chrissy's death was not about the actual act, the tragedy on London Bridge, but about her. Very shortly after her death, the family released this statement: 'We grieve the loss of our beautiful, loving daughter and sister. She had room in her heart for everyone and believed strongly that every person was to be valued and respected. She lived this belief working in the shelter for the homeless until she moved to Europe to be with her fiancé. She would have had no understanding of the callous cruelty that caused her death. Please honour her by making your community a better place. Volunteer your time and labour or donate to a homeless shelter. Tell them Chrissy sent you. The Archibald family.'

"The family's incredible grace during a time of unimaginable loss created an outpouring of donations and support, not just in Castlegar or B.C. or Canada, but globally as well. The #chrissysentme hashtag has been used thousands of times as people have made and continue to make their contributions to homeless shelters, food banks and charities, all to remember a beautiful young woman who lived an all-too-short but inspiring life."