Hon. Robert Black: Honourable senators, I rise today to highlight the work of the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership, which is hosting its annual meeting here in the nation’s capital this week. I have had the pleasure of being previously associated with this group for over 12 years, and, while I am no longer a leadership director, I have remained connected with this important organization.

The International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leadership, otherwise known as IAPAL, was founded in 1987 in Arkansas and is a professional consortium of agricultural, rural and urban leadership program directors, but I would say it’s much more. It’s truly a family — a family of peers and of leaders — and I am honoured to have been involved with this program before being called to the Senate. I continue to be kept abreast of their work to this day.

The program was initially created for agricultural leadership programs in Canada, the U.S., Australia and Scotland, but IAPAL expanded their scope in 2017 to include Nuffield International. I am proud to say that IAPAL now celebrates 52 leadership programs with immense capacity for global interface. Their core mission is to provide a forum for leadership directors to share information, opportunities and challenges. Above all, it is a support network of the highest quality for all who are involved.

Over the course of this week’s events, they will award the Outstanding Leadership Program Director Award. I was honoured to receive this award in 2013 in New Orleans. Countless leaders of rural and agricultural organizations from all walks of life — from farm fields to research and innovation professionals to rural tourism and agricultural tourism experts — will have the opportunity to connect during their time in these leadership programs. They will learn valuable skills that they will take back to their communities to be well used.

Honourable senators, I would like to share a story about the 2014 IAPAL meeting in Kentucky that, in my opinion, truly showcases the support that IAPAL members offer to each other. It is especially timely to share this as we approach the anniversary of the shooting that took place on Parliament Hill which took the life of Corporal Nathan Cirillo.

While I was not yet appointed to this chamber, the events of October 22, 2014, shocked me just the same. After we learned of the tragic incident, members of my IAPAL family gathered around an Ontario colleague and me to relay their thoughts and prayers and to comfort us. Their acts of compassion and kindness make me emotional to this day — all the more now that I serve Canadians on Parliament Hill. I certainly tried to return that favour on January 6, 2021, with my U.S. colleagues. I know that, in good times and bad, IAPAL members are there for each other.

Thank you. Meegwetch.