Hon. Pat Duncan: Honourable senators, our thoughts are turned to truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Today, I rise to recognize a person whose work and profession were an integral part of the northern land claims: Gerhard Charles Friesen — Charlie to his beloved wife Robyn, a father and a grandfather.

Carl, as he was known to most, was born in 1952 in Morden, Manitoba. He graduated with degrees from the University of British Columbia and the University of Calgary. At his University of British Columbia graduation ceremony at the top of his class as a Canada Lands Surveyor, a story was told of Carl tossing that gold medal from the stage to his father who had rather wished Carl’s life of service would have been as a doctor. While Carl may have been rather flippant about the gold medal, his contribution to the Yukon and Canada was not flippant and far more than gold nugget-sized.

Carl’s strong sense of community and desire to give back to ensure a fair and socially just Yukon with opportunity for everyone is how we remember Carl. His contribution to Canada was this and so much more.

In the recently published book A Sense of Where You Are: The Vital Work and Turbulent Times of the Canada Lands Surveyors, Charles Wilkins described Carl Friesen this way:

 . . . it would be difficult to find a Canada Lands Surveyor over the age of 40 who doesn’t know Carl. . . . he was an energetic, sometimes outspoken, supporter of self-regulation for the Association of Canada Lands Surveyors during the 1990s and has served as the Association’s president and on its council.

Carl described the importance and the difference of the northern land claim survey this way: “The biggest survey in history had been the Dominion Land Survey during the late 1800s and 1900s.” The land survey was described as thousands of small surveys knitted meticulously into the same vast grid, dividing the Prairies into a seemingly endless quilt of townships and farms and covering nearly 200 million acres of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The Dominion survey was accomplished by hundreds of different surveyors over a period of some 50 years. Most of the big northern land claims, including those for Inuvialuit, Nunavut and the Yukon, were accomplished in less than two decades, and were enacted by at most a few dozen surveyors and their crews. Carl was a leader among those surveyors and their crews.

Carl noted that the Dominion Lands Survey was not negotiated with First Nations, nor perhaps even explained to them, at least not in their own languages. It was simply imposed by the government.

Carl played a significant role inland claims settlements. He was proud of his work with and for First Nations. As the years passed, he saw how the big surveys supported both the spirit and intent of reconciliation.

The story of Canada Lands Surveyors, and especially Carl Friesen’s contribution, is well-documented in the book I mentioned. Colleagues, it’s well worth a read of this amazing story of Canada and of a very special Canadian.

Carl, our thanks to you for your contribution to our community, our country and the Canada Lands Surveyors. Safe trails, my friend. Mahsi’cho. Thank you.