Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, on behalf of the opposition and the Senate Conservative caucus, I am pleased to rise in this chamber to welcome our newest colleague, the Honourable Margo Greenwood. Senator Greenwood, I wish to extend to you a very warm welcome to the Senate of Canada.

As a fellow senator from our beautiful province of British Columbia, I look forward to working with you to support and advocate for British Columbians. As former educators, we also share a love of teaching and mentoring bright, young minds who may one day themselves become senators or whatever they so choose.

Senator Greenwood is certainly a role model for many, as a respected Indigenous scholar of Cree ancestry with notable achievements and a stellar record of leadership and community service. There is much written about her professional achievements, including the following on the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health site:

While her work crosses disciplines and sectors, Dr. Greenwood is particularly recognized — regionally, provincially, nationally and internationally — for her work in early childhood care and education, and in Indigenous public health.

Senator Greenwood, I am certain that your knowledge, expertise and passion for helping others will be useful and relevant in your work as a senator. As you embark on this new journey in the Senate of Canada, you will soon realize that you are not only making friends but that you have joined a new family — the Senate family. It is a family that has various opinions, perspectives and experiences but that together will serve a common purpose, which is to work for Canadians. We are here for them. We serve here, in the heart of Canadian democracy, in order to promote their best interests.

I speak not only for myself when I say we look forward to collaboratively working with you not only in this chamber but also at committee. Canadians are increasingly looking at the Senate to not only bring sober second thought and due diligence, but they are looking at the Senate for hope — hope that their voices are heard, that their concerns become ours and that together this chamber ensures the best path forward for everyone — especially minority groups — across our vast country. I trust that you will do just that.

On behalf of the opposition and the Conservative caucus, I welcome you once again to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Scott Tannas: Honourable senators, on behalf of my colleagues in the Canadian Senators Group, I welcome Senator Margo Greenwood to the Senate. Senator Greenwood is described as an internationally recognized and highly respected Indigenous scholar of Cree ancestry.

It was lovely to see you take your oath in Cree today.

She is a researcher and an author with over 30 years of experience examining the health and well-being of Indigenous communities, families and, as has been said, especially children, with over 130 publications. Senator Greenwood is a leader in her field and has chaired many research institutes in Canada. The Senate and all Canadians will benefit from her analytical skills and her input into public policy.

Senator Greenwood, in addition to your academic credentials as a distinguished professor, you have something else to contribute. In an interview you gave to Windspeaker.com, you spoke about changing what you called “lived realities”:

The ability to dream is so fundamentally important, because we can, in our own ways, see a different reality. To be able to dream is to be able to hope.

“Change requires the ability to dream with the courage to act,” you said. I believe that this can apply to all of us. I hope that with your interventions in this place, you will help us all to dream better and to have the courage to act.

Senator Greenwood, welcome to the Senate. My colleagues and I look forward to working with you.

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Thank you, senator. That is a great question. One thing that I did as soon as I was appointed minister with this portfolio — there is a Centre for Rural Economic Development already established. I sat down with the team and I asked, “Who do we have on the ground? Who do we have actually out working with businesses, banking institutes, not‑for‑profits, communities and Indigenous communities?” I am pleased to say that now we have 22 people in that department, and there are some on the ground in rural Canada from coast to coast to coast. We also work with regional developments associations, with BDC and, of course, with all of the other ministries in this field.

The reality is that banking is different in rural Canada. We have to work with the Canadian Bankers Association, or CBA, and all aspects to make sure that we develop and deliver to rural Canadians. I have tasked my team in the Centre for Rural Economic Development to make sure that they get out to every field because if we are not delivering the services that rural Canadians need to grow the economy, to help farmers, to help fishers and to help the tourism sector and the mining industry, we are not going to get there. They are a vital part of working with all of the groups on the ground to make a difference in rural and economic development from coast to coast to coast.