Hon. Nancy J. Hartling: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to Senator Patricia Bovey as she retires. In November 2016, I had the great pleasure of first meeting her when we were sworn into the Red Chamber on the same day, along with Senators Woo, Boniface, Cormier and Pate. We were all new, finding our way together and creating an incredible bond.

Patricia and I were seatmates in the early days. She was the queen of the arts with a great, big heart and lots and lots of energy. She has an incredible sense of humour with a unique laugh, and I have seen her kindness to many in this place. As a senator, she has exceptionally served on many committees, acted as Speaker pro tempore, travelling and representing the Senate both nationally and internationally. She has raised the profile of arts and culture and their importance.

Today, many of us will tell you about her accomplishments in the Red Chamber, but I would also like to share a bit more about the Pat that I have come to know and some of the things that are unique to her character.

Pat was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, later moving to Ottawa. She is the middle child with two brothers. Her parents supported and encouraged her endeavours. She was an avid piano player, teaching lessons, and perhaps could have made it her vocation. She loved skating in the winter, and she still seems to be skating as she walks briskly with purpose in her high heels. She was in a band and played the steel drums. This might be something, Pat, you could do in retirement.

Pat studied at several universities in art history, music history, and her passion grew in the arts. She has published over a dozen books, including her latest one, Western Voices in Canadian Art.

Pat and her husband, John Bovey, settled in Victoria, B.C., raising their two daughters. Sadly, John Bovey passed away in 2005. She later married the Honourable John Harvard, and they had many happy years together until he too passed away, in 2016. Pat told me how lucky she was to have had two very special Johns in her life.

Her daughters and their families, including her four grandchildren, now live in London, England. She loves spending time with them. We are pleased that her family is here with us today.

Pat performed many important roles in her life, including curator, director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, adjunct professor in art history, author and senator. Many of us call her our friend and colleague, but I want to share how her Senate staff member Christine Sentongo-Andersen described Senator Bovey:

She is a breath of fresh air who is extremely positive and always looking for a solution, rather than complaining about the current situation. It was like I had written down all the things I wanted in a Senator and the paper had flown up the chimney and she appeared floating down with an umbrella. She was like Mary Poppins while supporting me to realize my goals.

After she told me that, folks, this image has stuck in my head, and I see Pat with her umbrella, singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious with joy and laughter.

Many of us acknowledge her as a hard-working and dedicated person with a passion for art and culture. She believes that art is a universal language and the arts certainly are a lever for social and cultural change. Art tells stories of the past, present and future through images, words, movement and music. Let’s honour Pat’s legacy by promoting her vision and dreams.

We will miss you, Pat, and we thank you for your incredible contribution, but I know that this isn’t the end of your story. There is a next chapter waiting to be written. Thank you.