Hon. Jane Cordy: Would you take a question?

I really want to thank you so much for doing this. I was on the Social Affairs Committee, and I remember that we heard that your bill was coming before us, it was Jury Duty Appreciation Week and I thought, “Oh, well, that’s nice.” But then you were our first witness, and you spoke about your experiences, what happened afterwards and how you had no preparation going in. Then the day after the trial, you go back to your regular life — as regular as it can be after going through the trauma.

I think you spoke about the underappreciation of jurors. I have known people who have served on juries. You see them again, and it’s great that they’re finished, but they can’t talk about what they went through. It’s not even right to ask them what they have gone through.

I guess my question would be this: During Jury Duty Appreciation Week — which I think will do really good things — what types of activities do you envision taking place so that Canadians understand what jurors have gone through? We often think that a trial lasts a week or two, but we heard one witness tell us that it was months and months, and then after all this period of time, walk back into his office the next day and move along just as if life had been going on as “normal” for the previous six or nine months he was doing it.

I’m wondering if you can give us some ideas of what you envision. Hopefully, people are very creative in what they do if this bill passes. Can you tell us some of the things you think might happen that would help jurors or potential jurors understand what’s going to happen, but also to help the general public have a better appreciation of the role that members of a jury play in our society?

Senator Moncion: Thank you for the question, senator, and thank you for all the good questions that you and all your colleagues on the Social Affairs, Science and Technology Committee were asking when we, the witnesses, attended.

A lot of things are already in the process, and they were used last year in Jury Duty Appreciation Week. This information is being built as different provinces come into the program. Since we started working on the changes to the legislation for the secrecy rules, a Canadian Juries Commission has been created, and their work is to bring awareness to the work that jurors have to do.

They are working with provinces that want to come onboard. So there is information on the web that is available. There are all kinds of courses people can take or sessions they can participate in to prepare them for jury duty. There are different things that are done in different provinces.

This work has been building over the last couple of years, so more and more material is available. There is going to be more information provided for employers whenever a staff member is asked to be on jury duty. Understanding the obligations as an employer, the work that the juror is going to have to do and how time consuming that is — all this information is provided. But it will also be made more accessible.

The appreciation week just brings awareness. Then people will maybe start looking at that information and see what happens when they are called to become jurors. There is going to be more information available, and all kinds of tools are out there now to help jury duty.

Thank you.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

On the Order:

Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Downe, seconded by the Honourable Senator Quinn, for the third reading of Bill S-258, An Act to amend the Canada Revenue Agency Act (reporting on unpaid income tax).

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

Hon. Jane Cordy, for Senator Omidvar, Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, presented the following report:

Thursday, February 29, 2024

The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology has the honour to present its

NINETEENTH REPORT

Your committee, to which was referred Bill S-252, An Act respecting Jury Duty Appreciation Week, has, in obedience to the order of reference of Thursday, June 1, 2023, examined the said bill and now reports the same without amendment but with certain observations, which are appended to this report.

Respectfully submitted,

RATNA OMIDVAR

Chair

(For text of observations, see today’s Journals of the Senate, p. 2501.)

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I am pleased to speak today at second reading of Bill S-280, An Act respecting a national framework on sickle cell disease.

I must begin by thanking the sponsor, Senator Mégie, for introducing this bill and working so hard on behalf of Canadians living with sickle cell disease and their families.

I would also like to thank the Senate’s Black Caucus members, who hosted a wonderful event last June here, on Parliament Hill, to celebrate Sickle Cell Awareness Day.

I have been fortunate enough to meet many Canadians living with sickle cell, their families and their caregivers. Many of these families and caregivers have been advocating for what is laid out in Bill S-280.

Many parents have shared with me stories of their experiences raising children with sickle cell disease — the desperation and fears pre-diagnosis, not knowing why their infant children were under such distress and the feeling of helplessness trying to alleviate their children’s pain.

Many families felt it was only luck that their children with sickle cell disease were properly diagnosed by a family doctor familiar with the disease and its symptoms, and that they were told how best to treat it. Early diagnosis and treatment plans give the best chance at providing a positive quality of life for many living with sickle cell.

I have heard other stories from families about the difficulties they have faced in getting a proper diagnosis: children in and out of the ER on a regular basis while experiencing severe pain that had not been diagnosed. Doctors and health care professionals who were less knowledgeable about sickle cell disease would be at a loss as to the causes of this pain. In some cases, if the patient was a teenager, I have heard unfortunate stories about them being labelled as addicts just trying to game the system for pain prescriptions in the emergency department. Fortunately, this is starting to change as more and more people are doing research in sickle cell disease.

Awareness of sickle cell has long been a barrier to early proper diagnosis in Canada. Although sickle cell disease is the world’s most common human genetic disease, it has been relatively unknown in Canada until recent years. I have told the story before of how, in 1997, the great Jean Augustine was the first parliamentarian to raise the issue of sickle cell disease in either house of Parliament. To highlight how little sickle cell was known, the health minister at the time, Allan Rock, told Jean that he didn’t know what sickle cell disease was. To his credit, a week later, he told her that he had gotten a full briefing on the disease.

I am so pleased that awareness of sickle cell has increased significantly over the last number of years. Provincial sickle cell associations, along with the national association, have made great strides in educating communities, health care professionals and legislators. As Senator Mégie has pointed out, many provinces are now performing automatic newborn screening for sickle cell disease and the sickle cell trait. I was pleased that Nova Scotia was the third province to do automatic newborn screening, following Ontario and British Columbia.

I must mention the good work that the sickle cell disease associations across Canada are doing to create positive changes in care for those with sickle cell disease. I have worked with Lanre Tunji-Ajayi, President of the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario, and Biba Tinga, President of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada. These women and other volunteers have done incredible work as sickle cell advocates. Many of you met Biba at the sickle cell event on Parliament Hill in June. I thank all these volunteers who have made a huge difference in the lives of those with sickle cell disease and their families.

Honourable senators, we have made tremendous progress on making Canadians aware of sickle cell disease. When I first spoke about the issue in the Senate, very few senators had heard of sickle cell. The “friendly” critic for my National Sickle Cell Awareness Day Bill, former senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen, had been a nurse before her political career and knew about the disease and spoke in favour of the bill.

Awareness has provided an important first step, but it is time to move beyond awareness and to expand resources on a national scale and to provide national supports.

Nationally, we have somewhat of a patchwork system in recognizing, diagnosing and treating sickle cell disease. Different provinces and territories have developed different policies when it comes to the disease. For instance, not all provinces and territories perform automatic newborn screenings.

We are lacking proper data on the disease and on those who are carriers of the sickle cell trait. It is hard to move forward without good data. As Senator Mégie mentioned, research funding, particularly in the form of grants, is virtually non-existent for sickle cell.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to tour the largest sickle cell treatment clinic in the country, which is located in the Toronto General Hospital. The IWK Health children’s hospital in Halifax has also been a leader in researching and treating sickle cell disease. These are two hospitals, with tremendous staff, that are doing great work.

A problem persists where our larger population centres may be well served, but as you move away from those centres into smaller, more rural areas, Canadians begin to experience more difficulties. Bill S-280 will help to address these limitations.

I am encouraged to see the call for the federal government to take a leadership role in developing a national framework which will provide for the creation of a national research network to advance research, improve data collection and establish a national registry on sickle cell disease; include measures to address the training, education and diagnostic and treatment tool needs of health care professionals relating to sickle cell disease; and set evidence-based national standards for the diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell disease.

I am also happy to see the inclusion of an analysis respecting the implementation of a tax credit for individuals with sickle cell disease and their caregivers.

I have spoken to so many parents who talk to me about the hardships they face as their child, or children, live with sickle cell. Children can miss months of school and be in and out of hospitals for pain treatment. During this time, many parents are unable to work outside the home as they care for their children. Any financial relief, even the possibility of a tax credit, would help in some small way to support those families through difficult times.

Honourable senators, a national framework is long overdue. Since that first speech in 1997 by the Honourable Jean Augustine in the other place, it has been almost 37 years.

I am fully supportive of Bill S-280, the national framework on sickle cell disease act, moving forward to committee and I look forward to examining the legislation in committee.

Thank you.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, it is such a pleasure to be back with you. I’m coming from Nova Scotia, which, for the past four days, has been the land of snow, wind and delayed and cancelled flights, so I’m really happy to be here. I just arrived a very short while ago, after fully expecting to be here more than 24 hours ago.

I am very pleased, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, to join the other leaders in offering some welcoming remarks to our newest senators.

Before we adjourned in December, we bid farewell to some of our senators whose retirements became official, so it seems fitting that while we ended our year with some heavy-hearted goodbyes, we will be starting this year by adding some new faces and voices to our chamber.

We have already heard about the impressive and varied backgrounds of our five newest senators, who have already taken their seats. I won’t repeat their incredible accomplishments.

Representing the province of Ontario, we have Senator Marnie McBean, Olympian and champion; Senator Paulette Senior, thought leader and trailblazer; Senator Toni Varone, businessman and philanthropist; Senator Mohammad Al Zaibak, entrepreneur and community leader; and, filling the last vacant seat from Prince Edward Island, we welcome Senator Mary Robinson, a businesswoman and strong agricultural advocate.

Though I share the enthusiasm of my colleagues in welcoming five new senators at once, it’s a shame that it doesn’t allow quite as much time to devote to each of you and the incredible careers you have all had to date. The various experiences that you bring will not only help to shape your work in the Senate but also bring new issues to our attention.

An important part of our work here is to advocate on behalf of our regions and under-represented groups whose concerns may not always be raised in the other place. Senator McBean, Senator Senior, Senator Varone, Senator Al Zaibak and Senator Robinson, we are so glad to have you with us as champions for each of your communities. Having heard a bit about your backgrounds this afternoon, we may already feel we have a sense of who each of you are and what issues you may choose to highlight in the Senate, but it’s important to remember that we are all much more than what can be summed up easily.

Some of you may end up pursuing issues that you or we would not have guessed, and I hope that happens. We are all more than meets the eye, and that is true of this institution as well. The Senate is known as the chamber of sober second thought, but it can be so much more. I don’t know what inspired each of you to apply to join our upper chamber, but I hope that you are all able to keep an open mind as you find your places here in the Senate of Canada.

It may not always be what you expect, but you are each now one of Parliament’s agents of change. We are so glad to have you with us, and we will do our best to help you navigate this transition.

So, Senator McBean, Senator Senior, Senator Varone, Senator Al Zaibak and Senator Robinson, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, it is my pleasure to officially welcome you to the Senate of Canada. We look forward to working with each of you.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Senator Gold, I want to follow up on a question that I asked October 4 on behalf of Cliff Williams, a Nova Scotia senior who is relying on the new Canadian Dental Care Plan to access dental services.

As I stated in my last question, one third of Canadians do not have dental insurance, and one in five avoid dental services because the price is prohibitive. We know that dental care is health care. I applaud the government for its commitment to providing financial assistance to those Canadians who face barriers in accessing dental services by bringing forward the new dental care plan.

A government media release from March 31 — from which you read your answer to my question on October 4 — simply says that by the end of 2023, the Canadian Dental Care Plan will become available to uninsured Canadians under 18, persons with disabilities and seniors with an annual family income of less than $90,000.

Senator Gold, Mr. Williams’ question is a simple one: When will the benefits be available to eligible seniors? As there are only a few weeks until the end of 2023, is the government still guaranteeing that the benefits will be available before the end of the year?

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to all those who have served in our Armed Forces, many of whom deployed around the world, never to return home; countless more returned home carrying with them the traumas of war.

I often think of my father, Private Lauchie MacKinnon, from Grand Mira, Cape Breton, and his experience of serving during World War II, when he was deployed, and fought, in Holland and Italy at the age of 19.

When we were children, my father never spoke to us about the horrors of war. Instead, he spoke to us about the other things he saw or did, like Canadian troops going to the Vatican for mass given by the Pope or being on leave in Edinburgh and going into a pub where he randomly met his cousin, who was also from Grand Mira.

My brother, Commander Charlie MacKinnon, also served in the Canadian Armed Forces. I have told the story before, but I remember when, as a member of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, or CANA, I travelled to Kabul, Afghanistan, while my brother was stationed there.

During Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day, my father and brother are never far from my thoughts. I know that all of us here today have family or close friends who have served or continue to serve.

This year, Canada marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Over those 75 years, Canadian military personnel, as well as members of our Royal Canadian Mounted Police forces, have been deployed to countries in turmoil all over the globe on multinational peace operations, defending democracy and standing up for security around the world.

As conflict around the world is on the rise and hitting closer to home every day, on this Remembrance Day, we honour the 125,000 military members who served or continue to serve on peace missions — as well as those Canadians who were killed while deployed. Many more returned home with physical and psychological trauma.

Yesterday, we marked Indigenous Veterans Day to honour the estimated 12,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit soldiers who served alongside our allies, and we remember the nearly 500 who lost their lives defending our freedoms. As Senator Francis so poignantly expressed yesterday, these soldiers not only returned home with physical and psychological injuries, but also faced social injustices and continued policies of cultural discrimination. We must continue to do better in recognizing the contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit to Canada’s Armed Forces.

Honourable senators, it is important for all Canadians to take a moment this week to reflect on the contributions of our Armed Forces and remember all those who answered the call, defending our democracy and protecting the vulnerable around the world.

Thank you.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I am truly delighted to join the other leaders today in welcoming our newest senator, a fellow Cape Bretoner and someone I have had the pleasure of working with for a number of years in service of Nova Scotians.

Senator Cuzner — that’s going to take a while to get used to, but I love it — on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, it’s wonderful to see your public service continue as we welcome you to the upper chamber.

I think we all know about Senator Cuzner’s long career as a member of Parliament, and I thank Senator Gold for putting those highlights on the record. I daresay we also all know he’s a fierce partisan — that is, for his beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. But we’ll forgive him for that as the team has caused him to suffer long enough. But maybe this year will be different, Rodger — hope springs eternal.

Senator Cuzner may be best known for his sense of humour, quick wit and good-natured demeanour. As others have said, his colleagues in the other place certainly felt that way, twice voting him the most collegial MP. I have no doubt that you will earn a similar reputation here.

In your farewell speech in the other place, you certainly demonstrated your ability to tell a great story — in fact, you shared several. You reminded your colleagues, “I took my responsibilities seriously but I never took myself seriously.” With that in mind, I will do my best to retell one of my favourite stories: a tale of rescue.

This story takes place back in 2009. Two Nova Scotian MPs, who were also roommates, were on their way home on a Wednesday night when they spotted something unusual. Was it a dog? No. It was a beaver, standing on its hind legs, in the middle of Sparks Street. Obviously, Senator Cuzner and Mark Eyking couldn’t abandon this great symbol of our country, so when they couldn’t get help from emergency services, they decided to tackle this challenge on their own.

It took about an hour of careful wrangling, and holding up traffic, but they finally succeeded in returning the poor beaver to the Ottawa River. Not unlike anyone else who has spent quality time with these two gentlemen, the beaver was reluctant to leave his new friends. But with a final slap of his tail on the water, away he went. I love this story because not only does it make me laugh every time I think of these two trying to coax a beaver to follow them in downtown Ottawa, but I also feel like it describes Senator Cuzner perfectly: always ready to lend a hand, eager to find solutions and able to get along with even the wildest of creatures.

Senator Cuzner, if you’ll forgive me, I’d like to quote you one more time. You once said:

. . . I measure success by how you can improve the lot of Canadians. When we all get together and try to do the right thing, then that’s possible.

Rodger, you have made a career out of working to improve the lot of Canadians, particularly Nova Scotians who are lucky, indeed, to have you continue to work in their service in this new role.

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, it’s my pleasure to officially welcome you to the Senate of Canada. We look forward to working with you, Senator Cuzner.

Hon. Jane Cordy: I also wish to say a few words on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group before we depart to head to our homes for the summer. I often say that our group is small but mighty, and I assure you I will try to keep my remarks simply short but sweet.

Much has been said, and I could almost say “ditto” because I think we all work really well as leaders and we all appreciate differing opinions and so on, but I will continue with my remarks.

As other leaders have noted, our work here could not happen without the enormous support that we receive from behind the scenes. We have so many people to thank, between the countless number of Senate Administration staff, our brilliant and wonderful pages, some of whom will be leaving us, the interpreters, our shared parliamentary staff and the staff in our respective offices. We are lucky to be part of what is sometimes referred to as the “Senate family.”

It feels like I was just delivering similar remarks not that long ago — maybe it’s an age thing; I’m not sure — but we certainly have been extremely busy since this January. I should like to take a moment to note that after many years in this chamber, there is always more to learn. I am so fortunate to have been — and continue to be — surrounded by such impressive and generous colleagues. Truly, that is what enriches our work here in the Senate: to have diverse voices and opinions and then to find the best way to move forward.

We have, in the past few months, said goodbye to some of those extraordinary colleagues, and those moments are often pretty hard. But we have also been fortunate to welcome in new colleagues, and I hope that this trend continues in the fall.

We have welcomed our new Speaker, and I must echo the other leaders and say, Your Honour, that we are, indeed, well served by having you represent us, not only in the chamber but outside of our chamber.

Thank you also to our very capable, very able Speaker pro tempore, Senator Ringuette, for the wonderful job that you do.

I want to especially thank the amazing team of senators and staff in our Progressive Senate Group. We are a true team, and I am blessed and privileged to work with you each and every day. I love you all.

Colleagues, I do want to express my hope that we all have the opportunity this summer to reconnect with our communities and our families, to find the time to have those important conversations with those whose voices we represent. I enjoy the discussions and conversations that take place in this chamber and in committees. As Senator Tannas spoke about earlier, just being together and talking, whether it’s in the Reading Room or walking to and from the chamber, we learn a lot about one another in those short conversations, and we also learn a lot about the great things that are happening in the Senate.

On that note, I would like to thank my esteemed and hard‑working fellow leaders. Senator Gold — Marc — by the way, happy birthday next Friday! To Senator Saint-Germain — Raymonde — Senator Tannas, Senator Plett, thank you for providing countless examples of both enjoyable and sometimes maybe not-so-enjoyable conversations. We certainly don’t all share the same views on the best course of action, but that’s a pretty positive thing, I believe.

I know we all want what is best for our respective groups, and, indeed, most importantly, we all want what is best for Canadians, as we all do in the Senate. It is a pleasure to work with all of you as leaders.

We often hear the term “the Ottawa bubble,” and although I know we do our best not to get trapped in the bubble, the best way to combat that is to ensure that we pay attention to what’s being said outside of it. The exchanges that we have with people who are under-represented here are the most important voices to hear. They help enlighten us to views we might be missing, and they remind us of why our work is so very important and why our work is best when we are advocating for groups who are typically underserved.

Our respective regions are full of constituents and stakeholders who count on us to bring their voices to Parliament, to the Senate of Canada.

While I am proud to serve as leader of the Progressives, I am first and foremost proud to be a senator representing my province of Nova Scotia. By the way, we still have three Senate vacancies from Nova Scotia — I hope you’re listening, Prime Minister. I hope that they will be filled soon.

Staying connected with our home communities is a vital part of our job so that we can ensure that each region in Canada is well considered through our deliberations here.

Finally, I especially hope that everyone has the opportunity over the next couple of months to rest, to relax and to recharge. Spending time with friends and family is so important.

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I offer each of you our best wishes for the summer, and I look forward to resuming our work here in the fall.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Thank you very much for that invitation. I will certainly follow through if I hear from the advocates. Thank you very much for that, Senator Gold.

Newborn screening for sickle cell anemia is an important tool for prevention and early diagnosis. Currently, only a select number of provinces and territories screen for sickle cell anemia. I’m pleased that former premier Stephen McNeil of Nova Scotia supported an approved newborn screening in my province in 2013 — 10 years ago.

Will funds under this program be available to the provinces and territories to help establish uniform screening policies across the country? What are the anticipated timelines for allocating the different funding streams to the provinces, territories and organizations?

Hon. Jane Cordy: Senator Gold, in March of this year, the government committed up to $1.5 billion over three years to establish the first-ever national strategy for drugs for rare diseases — that is really good news.

On Monday, we marked the sixth National Sickle Cell Awareness Day in Canada. An estimated 6,000 Canadians live with sickle cell disease/anemia. After speaking with patients and advocates this week, the announced drug strategy for rare diseases has raised hope, but also uncertainty. Senator Gold, sickle cell advocate groups and associations are concerned that their input might not be considered, or that they won’t be included in the government’s advisory council, which is promised to be established by this summer. How can advocates get a seat at the table to ensure that sickle cell anemia is not left out, and to ensure that new drugs will finally be available to those with sickle cell anemia?

Hon. Jane Cordy, pursuant to notice of May 11, 2023, moved:

That the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology be permitted, notwithstanding usual practices, to deposit with the Clerk of the Senate, no later than June 30, 2023, a report related to its study on the Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention, if the Senate is not then sitting, and that the report be deemed to have been tabled in the Senate.

She said: I move the motion standing in the name of Senator Omidvar.

Hon. Jane Cordy rose pursuant to notice of May 10, 2023:

That she will call the attention of the Senate to the career of the Honourable Patricia Bovey.

She said: Honourable senators, I rise today to initiate debate on this inquiry to allow for those senators who, due to time constraints, were unable to pay tribute to our former colleague Senator Bovey during the time allocated for tributes.

(On motion of Senator Bernard, debate adjourned.)

(At 5:19 p.m., the Senate was continued until tomorrow at 2 p.m.)

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, you have likely heard the expression “march to the beat of one’s own drum.” For those of us from Nova Scotia, the instrument is not a drum, and the expression rather has us tapping our feet to one’s own fiddle tune.

Fiddling and fiddle music is a tradition throughout much of the East Coast that travelled across the ocean with our Celtic ancestors. Like each stitch woven into our Nova Scotia tartan, you could say that fiddle music, along with the bagpipes, make up the double helix of our musical DNA.

This Saturday, May 20, we celebrate National Fiddling Day. The bill to establish a National Fiddling Day was a project of our former colleague P.E.I. Senator Libbe Hubley, herself a fiddler. To celebrate the bill, renowned Ontario fiddler Kelli Trottier even wrote a song called “Fiddle Bill.”

On the third Saturday in May, fiddlers all over Canada get together to celebrate their musical tradition and their own unique styles of fiddling. We Cape Bretoners have our very own style rooted in the Scottish tradition, but in the West, you can find the Métis style or the Anglo-Canadian style, which draws from a mix of many stylistic origins. The French-Canadian style found in Quebec and New Brunswick is different still.

Just how big is fiddle music in Cape Breton? For thousands who arrive to Sydney by cruise ships, the first thing to greet them on the waterfront is the world’s largest fiddle and bow, standing at 60 feet tall. It is a guarantee that their visit will include several good fiddle tunes and the inevitable accompanying step dance.

Honourable senators, if you find yourself in Nova Scotia this summer or fall, a highlight of the Nova Scotia tourist season is the annual Celtic Colours International Festival, which will take place this year from October 6 to 14. This festival features 49 concerts in 35 communities across Cape Breton Island celebrating its culture through music, song and dance.

While you are in Nova Scotia, a visit to the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou is a must, where you will experience lively music and a true East Coast kitchen party. You may even run into a member of the Rankin family, who are the owners of the pub. I challenge you to keep your toes from tapping. I offer my very best wishes to fiddlers across the country and to all those that enjoy fiddle music for a very happy National Fiddling Day.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I am delighted to join the other leaders in congratulating the Honourable Raymonde Gagné, who will serve as the Forty-sixth Speaker of the Senate.

As others have mentioned, Senator Gagné is only the third woman to fulfill this role, the second Manitoban and the first woman from Manitoba. This will also mark the first time that both the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker pro tempore are women.

Senator Gagné, when I came to the Senate, Manitoban Gil Molgat was the Speaker, and since I’m due to retire in 2025, it will be another Manitoban when I retire, so I guess I have Manitoba bookends.

Senator Gagné, I know that your background as a teacher will have prepared you well for the task that lies ahead when presiding over our proceedings. With the news of your appointment, the Prime Minister noted your “reputation for productive, objective, and balanced insights,” and from listening to the other leaders, I think it’s fair to say that he is not alone in those views. The Prime Minister has made an excellent choice in appointing you as our new Speaker.

The Senate has been experiencing a period of adjustment, as we navigate various changes and try to find a new path forward. We may not all share the same vision of how to improve, but I do know that we all want to serve our communities as best we can. Senator Gagné, you admirably serve the people of Manitoba, and particularly Franco-Manitobans. In your maiden speech here, you said that Franco-Manitobans have a legacy of defending:

. . . the idea of a Canada that unites and brings its citizens together, while fully respecting their differences and their rights.

I can’t think of a much better sentiment to describe you, our new Speaker. Whether within this chamber or through your various new diplomatic duties, I am confident that you will represent our institution with distinction.

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group:

[Translation]

Congratulations, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Senator Furey, I can’t believe that the time for your retirement is here. Your distinguished career serving the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in Ottawa is coming to a close after almost 24 years.

It was a pleasure to serve alongside you in caucus for 15 of those years, until your appointment in 2015 as the first Speaker of the Senate from Newfoundland and Labrador. I will add that during the time that Geoff Regan served as Speaker of the House of Commons, it was the first time that the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Speaker of the Senate were both graduates of the law school at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

George, I have many fond memories of working with you here in Ottawa. One fun thing that stands out was the Senate choir. You and I, along with Senator Ringuette and former senators Bill Rompkey, Joan Fraser, Lorna Milne and Gerald Comeau — to name a few — would sing together in the Senate choir, not as Liberals or Conservatives, but in the spirit of friendship.

The late senator Tommy Banks would lead and accompany us on piano, and if we sang out of tune, Tommy would simply begin to play a little louder.

As others have said, George, you have kept a steady hand as we have navigated these uncharted waters of change in the Senate over the last eight years — from the ever-evolving dynamics of this place, to the move from Centre Block to our temporary new home here in the Senate of Canada Building and the upheaval of the pandemic with a shift to hybrid sittings.

I think the highest praise a Speaker can receive is to be regarded as being fair. Your Honour, you have ruled fairly but firmly with words of encouragement for us to find solutions.

George, I know how important family is to you. You will now be able to spend more time with Karen, your children and, particularly, your grandchildren.

I wouldn’t normally quote a family member. However, since Andrew is a politician, I will make an exception here. He said:

Dad was a great role model, and not only was he a great role model, he’s one of my best friends.

He went on to say:

. . . my top priority is always going to be my family. That’s something that’s been instilled in me since I was a kid.

George, there is no better tribute to a parent or a Speaker than this.

You and Karen have always recognized that while politics is exciting and invigorating, family is what keeps us grounded.

Speaker, I phoned former senator Joan Cook — that might make you a little bit nervous — and I asked if she would like to share a funny story about you. She said, “George isn’t funny. He’s serious. It’s all about family.”

She went on to say that you had five grandchildren in two years. Now, Joan always knitted things for new babies, but I understand she phoned you, George, and said:

So, five grandchildren in two years — for God’s sake George, tell your kids to slow down. I can’t keep up with the knitting.

George, I am honoured to have had the privilege to serve with you in the Senate for the last 23 years. You have served Canadians and the Senate of Canada with great distinction and you have earned a deep respect from your colleagues. To quote this week’s The Hill Times, your retirement is “. . . a loss for the Senate and the Canadian public.” The descriptions of your decency, commitment and impact on this place cannot be overstated.

The Progressive Senate Group and I wish you and Karen the very best.

Thank you for all you have done.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I give notice that, two days hence:

I will call the attention of the Senate to the career of the Honourable Patricia Bovey.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I am delighted to rise today on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group and join with other leaders in welcoming a new colleague to this chamber.

We recently heard from Minister LeBlanc when he was in our chamber for Question Period that we would soon have more Atlantic Canadians among us, and I hope this is only the beginning for our Atlantic region.

Senator Petten, as we’ve heard, your career trajectory is nothing short of impressive. Dedicating yourself to hard work, to community, to family and to entrepreneurship has served you well. You have proven that an attitude of, “Well, why can’t I do that” is a key ingredient to such success. When you received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Memorial University in Newfoundland, you told graduates how your mentors pushed you beyond your comfort zone. You said:

When they pushed me hard and expected me to learn more, to live up to the job at hand, I grew as a person. The best lessons I learned came from reaching beyond what I knew, and avoiding staying with what I was comfortable with.

Sometimes hard to do but really great advice, Senator Petten.

With your appointment, you have once again found yourself in a new situation. I suspect I speak for all senators when I say that we are looking forward to seeing how you meet this challenge. Based upon your track record, I know that we can expect great things.

Although you are not the first Senator Petten to represent Newfoundland and Labrador in this chamber, I do believe you will be the first senator to represent Port de Grave, and I am sure that they will be well served by your continued dedication to your home community.

Senator Petten, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, it is my pleasure to officially welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

By the way, I just found out that our very own Senator Audette was born in Labrador. I did not know that until this afternoon, just two minutes before I got up to speak.

Senator Petten, we look forward to working with you. Welcome.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to the Honourable Lorna Milne. Lorna passed away on March 1 of this year, in Brampton, Ontario.

Lorna was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in 1995 and served until her retirement in 2009. Lorna was the Senate vice-chair of the national Liberal caucus from 2006 to 2009 and the president of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association from 2004 to 2008. During her time in the Senate, she had been the chair of the Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament when the position of Senate Ethics Officer was created upon the committee’s recommendation. She also chaired the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, and was instrumental in passing Bill S-18 which allowed any historical census data prior to 2001 to be released to the public, and, in the following years, this allowed Canadians to decide whether they wanted their information to be released or not.

Lorna had a keen interest in genealogy — this included her own family history certainly, but also the accumulation and preservation of Canadian history and the history of Canadians. She was heavily involved for many years with the Ontario Genealogical Society, and in 2002, she was named its honorary patron.

Her time in the Senate was not Lorna’s first foray into public service. You could say that she had always been a community builder. In the 1980s, she was the president of the North Peel unit of the Canadian Cancer Society, as well as a coordinator of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and she spent years on the board of the Brampton YM/YWCA.

Another passion of Lorna’s was pressed glass, particularly early Canadian pressed glass. She was an expert on the subject and an active member of the Glasfax association. There is something to be said for admiring the everyday beauty in things that might be otherwise overlooked. What one person might consider purely functional and insignificant, Lorna could hold up to the light and appreciate all the colours reflected in it and its intricate designs. This, honourable senators, is a rare but special ability.

My deepest condolences to Lorna’s family and friends on the loss of such a cherished wife, mother and grandmother. I am sure that she will be deeply missed, but also that you are left with a lifetime of wonderful memories. Thank you.

[Translation]

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I am pleased to rise today to honour the achievements of remarkable women, including two of our very own senators. On International Women’s Day, Women of Influence+ released their list of the Top 25 Women of Influence Awards recipients. These awards, “. . . acknowledge the unique achievements of diverse women representing various sectors, career stages, and contributions to the advancement of women.”

This year’s recipients include Senator Rosa Galvez, whose environmental work was particularly highlighted. Her career provides an excellent example to young women and girls who, like Senator Galvez herself, may have decided early in life what they wished to accomplish. Senator Galvez, that 10-year-old girl who dreamed of working toward contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment would certainly be proud of all you have done. I know I speak for all senators when I say that we know you are not finished yet. Congratulations.

The other recipients this year are Cheyenne Arnold-Cunningham, Louise Aspin, Kirstin Beardsley, Linda Biggs, Elvalyn Brown, Dr. Vivien Brown, Margaret Coons, Jan De Silva, Lovepreet Deo, Natalie Evans Harris, Allison Forsyth, Haben Girma, the Honourable Karina Gould, Eva Havaris, Nicole Janssen, Janet Ko, Maya Kotecha and Carly Shuler, Dr. Rachel Ollivier, Bobbie Racette, Paulette Senior, Domee Shi, Christine Sinclair and Suzie Yorke. They represent a wide array of careers and achievements, and I offer my congratulations to them all.

In addition to those 25 outstanding women, they also named a Lifetime Achievement Award, and I am pleased to report that it is our very own Senator Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to one of our colleagues who recently left this place a little sooner than expected, but in a manner that seems perfectly fitting for her: quietly, without fanfare, but with a lasting impact.

Despite her request not to have a formal period for tributes, I would still like to ensure that the retirement of Senator Sandra Lovelace Nicholas does not go unmarked. She has been a devoted champion for the rights of Indigenous women and girls, both before her appointment and through her work here. It would certainly not be an understatement to use the term “trailblazer.” She received the Order of Canada in 1990 and the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case in 1992. Though she will be missed, I am very grateful for the opportunity to have sat with her in this chamber and to have learned from her.

A Maliseet woman from the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick, Senator Lovelace Nicholas was the first female Aboriginal senator to represent Atlantic Canada. At the time of her appointment in 2005, her name was already well known. It has arguably become forever tied to the issue of improving the rights of Indigenous women and girls, as hers was the name in the case taken to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 1981, Lovelace v. Canada. This ruling, in her favour, was the catalyst that began years of work to amend the Indian Act in order to end the gender discrimination that impacted the rights of First Nations women and their children. Along with colleagues like former senator Lillian Dyck, Senator Lovelace Nicholas continued to advocate for changes to the Indian Act, drawing our attention to the consequences of this ongoing injustice. During debate on Bill S-3, she told this chamber that:

. . . Canada cannot disconnect the ongoing discrimination against indigenous women in the Indian Act from the current human rights crisis of murders and disappearances.

How fitting that she spoke those words as the truth-gathering process was beginning in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, another issue for which she fought.

Honourable senators, there have only been nine Indigenous women appointed to the Senate of Canada. But following the retirement of Senator Lovelace Nicholas, half of them — five — are currently in our chamber. Seeing this progress and knowing the senators who are now representing these voices, I do not doubt that the issues Senator Lovelace Nicholas steadfastly pursued will continue to be ably advanced.

Her first speech in the Senate was in honour of International Women’s Day, when she delivered a statement about the late Mavis Gores, another Tobique First Nation woman who advocated for gender equality. At that time, she spoke these words, which seem equally fitting to describe Senator Lovelace Nicholas herself:

Honourable senators, if it had not been for the strength of First Nations women in our communities, and women’s groups across Canada, we would not have been able to accomplish what was once considered impossible: The changing of federal legislation by women who thought they did not have a voice.

Your voices have certainly been heard.

Woliwon, Sandra, thank you. Thank you for being you. You will be missed.