The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the house to remember and reflect on the life of our friend and colleague, Derrick Bragg.

All members in this house, and those in his life outside the walls of the Confederation Building, knew Derrick Bragg as a man filled with passion and pride for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Throughout his lifetime, Derrick showed his passion for our province by giving back, serving Newfoundlanders and Labradorians as a minister of Municipal Affairs, Transportation, and, of course, Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture.

But that service began in his beloved hometown of Greenspond for years as clerk, town manager and fire chief – never missing a beat in his community.

To honour his legacy and commitment to Newfoundland and Labrador, we renamed a road to the causeway in Greenspond as Derrick Bragg Way – so generations to come will know him and learn about his contribution to this province.

Derrick once famously declared, right out there on those steps, that he “had more guts than brains.” What he didn’t realize, is that it takes a lot of brains to have guts.

To his family, friends and those who knew him best, let me again offer my deepest condolences on your loss, our loss.