Jamaican appointed to Canadian senate

TORONTO:

Another Jamaican has been appointed to the Senate of Canada.

Paulette Senior, the president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, has been appointed by Governor General Mary Simon as an independent senator to fill a vacancy in the senate for Ontario.Senior was born in Kingston and raised by her grandmother in Clarendon. She migrated to Canada in 1973 at 11 years old.

The former chief executive officer of YWCA Canada, she is recognised for her devotion to ‘dismantling systemic barriers, and building up women and girls of diverse backgrounds’.

“With a wealth of knowledge and experience, Marnie McBean, Paulette Senior, and Toni Varone will be important voices for their communities as Parliament’s newest independent senators. I look forward to working with them and with all senators to make progress on the issues that matter most to Canadians and to help build a better future for everyone,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday of the appointment of Senior, Olympian and motivational speaker Marnie McBean, and businessman and philanthropist Toni Varone.McBean, one of the most decorated Olympians in Canadian history, an author and an Officer of the Order of Canada, champions social justice causes and serves as a role model for young Canadian athletes.

Varone is the president of the Varone Group and a long-time board member of the Villa Charities Foundation. His civic engagement has been centred on building safe, affordable housing and promoting the social and cultural life of Toronto’s Italian-Canadian community.Responding to the appointment, Senior emphasised her commitment to service, noting:”I am so deeply honoured to be appointed in this tremendously auspicious role as senator in service to Canada, the country to which I have lived and devoted my life for 50 years! As a child of Jamaican roots who had to navigate a new culture fraught with systemic barriers, I’m proud that the grounding I received from my grandmother fortified me with the strength and confidence to not only survive but thrive, and advocate for justice and equality for all, but especially for those most marginalised and shunned. It’s been my life’s work that I will continue to advance as a senator. “

CHANGEMAKER

Senior has led, managed, and operated Toronto-based shelters, employment and housing programmes at organisations such as Yellow Brick House, Macaulay Child Development Centre, and Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre. She has sat on the board of directors of several equity-focused organisations, including the Women’s College Hospital and the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council.

The changemaker currently sits on the Board of Directors of Oxfam Canada, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, and the Women’s Funding Network. In 2022, she was appointed to serve as a member of the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments.

In recognition of her community service, Senior has received several awards, including the Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Trailblazer Award, the African Canadian Achievement Award, the Top 25 Women of Influence Award,the AfroGlobal Leadership Award, and most recently, the Skills for Change Impact Changemaker Award.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and urban studies from York University and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Lethbridge.

McBean, one of the most decorated Olympians in Canadian history, an author and an Officer of the Order of Canada, champions social justice causes and serves as a role model for young Canadian athletes.

Varone is the president of the Varone Group and a long-time board member of the Villa Charities Foundation. His civic engagement has been centred on building safe, affordable housing and promoting the social and cultural life of Toronto’s Italian-Canadian community.The Senate — the Upper House in Canada’s parliamentary democracy — brings together a diverse group of accomplished Canadians in service of their country. It was created to counterbalance representation by population in the House of Commons and not only defends regional interests, but also creates a space for the voices of historically underrepresented groups like Indigenous Peoples, racialised communities, and women.

In 2016, the selection process for senators was opened to all Canadians. Candidate submissions are reviewed by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, which provides recommendations to the prime minister. The board is guided by public, transparent, non-partisan, and merit-based criteria to identify highly qualified candidates.

This week’s announcement means there are now 78 independent appointments to the Senate made on the advice of Prime Minister Trudeau, all of them recommended by the board.

Under the Canadian Constitution, the Governor-General appoints individuals to the Senate and the new senators join their peers to examine and revise legislation, investigate national issues, and represent regional, provincial and territorial, and minority interests. Senior joins fellow Jamaicans, Rosemary Moodie appointed in 2018 and Sharon Burey, in 2022, who are senators representing Ontario in the Chamber.