Senator Manning: Colleagues, as many of you are aware, my home province is composed of the island of Newfoundland — called “The Rock” — and the larger mainland section of Labrador, respectfully referred to as “The Big Land.” The island portion was named “newfoundelande,” or “New Found Land,” by late 15th century explorers.

Prior to 2001, when we officially changed our name to Newfoundland and Labrador, our province was known far and wide as Newfoundland. It is a place of rugged beauty, breathtaking scenery and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Just ask Senator Marshall. I encourage you to come and visit us and experience what makes us an interesting and unique place.

Talking about unique, two of the world’s most lovable dogs are named after both of our land masses — one being the enormous, bear-like Newfoundland dog and the other being the most popular dog breed in the world, the Labrador retriever.

The histories of both the Newfoundland dog and the Labrador retriever are somewhat fascinating. Their stories span the Atlantic Ocean and two continents: Europe and North America.

The Newfoundland dog’s exact origin is unknown to even the most thorough historians. However, the breed as we know it today comes from dogs brought to England from the island of Newfoundland in the 1500s and 1600s. They were originally bred and used as working dogs for our fishermen. They were known for their giant size, incredible swimming ability, tremendous strength, calm disposition, loyalty, love of children and their intelligence. Is it any wonder they were named after Newfoundland?

Time does not allow me today to tell you the many heartwarming stories of the Newfoundland dog, but I will mention a couple. One dog called “Sergeant Gander” was the World War II mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada. He was killed in action at the Battle of Hong Kong when he carried a grenade away from wounded soldiers. A memorial statue can be viewed by visiting the Gander Heritage Memorial Park.

In 1928, another Newfoundland dog named “Hairyman” assisted Ann Harvey of the town of Isle aux Morts, along with her father and brother, to save 160 Irish immigrants from the wreck of the ship Despatch — but that is a story for another chapter.

The origin of Labrador retriever — referred to at one time as the “St. John’s dog” — is complex as well. Many believe they descend from a mix of genes from the various dogs taken on board ships by Spanish, French, Portuguese and English fishermen. Again, the Labrador retriever is a versatile animal and is well known for their supernatural affinity for water, their loyalty, gentle temperament, dependability, big appetite and — yes, once again — their intelligence.

They have a long and storied reputation as a great family pet and have been the faithful companions of presidents and prime ministers, including Clinton, Mitterrand and Sarkozy, to name a few. The Labrador retriever is the musician’s dog of choice — from the late Frank Sinatra to Keith Richards and Paul McCartney, as well as Hollywood royalty such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, and literary giant Ernest Hemingway.

The Labrador has proven its worth in search and rescue, as a guide dog, in medical detection and as a valued assistant in the theatre of war.

It seems amazing that two of the world’s most prolific swimming dogs come from some of the world’s coldest waters. But perhaps that was the point. When you live on a big rock surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the dogs — just like our forefathers and those who came behind them — had to learn to survive in what at times can be a very unforgiving environment.

I was once told by a very intelligent lady —

Hon. Pat Duncan: Honourable senators, this time of year is very special to many. For some, it is a celebration of a special birth. December 21 is also the longest night of the year in the North. This year, on June 21 — the longest day of the year and National Indigenous Peoples Day in the Yukon — an almost perfectly preserved baby woolly mammoth, more than 30,000 years old, was revealed to the world. Miners working on Eureka Creek in the traditional territory of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in uncovered an almost perfectly preserved symbol of the ice age. This is the first such discovery in North America and only the second in the world.

On September 6, on CBC Radio’s “The Current,” the story of this remarkable event and the thunderstorm that followed the baby’s discovery was so very well told by the voices of those who were there. I invite senators to tune in to that episode and hear from the folks involved.

Upon the discovery, recognizing there was something special, the young miner operating the heavy equipment and the mining operation immediately stopped. Stopping work during a valuable, short mining season, where every daylight hour counts, is not taken lightly. The contact with the Government of Yukon paleontologist, and those working in the field, were on site as soon as possible. Most important and most immediate was the outreach to the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, upon whose traditional territory the discovery was made.

Yukoners, including Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in elders, held a small traditional ceremony in Dawson City when the discovery was shared with them. First Nation Language and Heritage individuals named the baby mammoth Nun cho ga, meaning “big baby animal” in the Hän language.

Nun cho ga remains in the Yukon. She is a connection for the community and for elders to impart their traditional knowledge and culture and to share with youth what it is to be stewards of traditional land for the Hän community.

The remarkable discovery — the remains of a frozen baby woolly mammoth — while digging through the permafrost in the Klondike Gold Fields is, as those involved stated, life changing. Fortunately, in the Yukon, permafrost acted as a freezer, preserving soft tissue like muscle, skin and hair, as well as important information like DNA.

The scientific importance of this paleontological discovery, which gathered worldwide attention within days, is invaluable. It will support and advance the study of the history of life, allowing the scientific community to place living organisms and allowing for the interpretation of the significance of the characteristics of the woolly mammoth, while gaining insight into the potential significance of biological events occurring today.

Honourable senators, I do appreciate you allowing me the time to share the discovery of Nun cho ga with you, and invite you to hear more. As we honour her discovery this year, I would like to celebrate and wish each and every one of you the very best this holiday season and in the year to come.

Mahsi’cho. Gùnáłchîsh. Thank you.

Hon. Rosemary Moodie: The question I have today is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, the crisis in pediatric hospitals has reached a new and worrying height. Earlier this week, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, CHEO, had to call in the Canadian Red Cross to support patient care during this extraordinarily difficult respiratory infection season.

An important underlying contributor to this acute crisis is the fact that our pediatric health care system is undersized and is unable to support our children and their complex and diverse health needs. Speaking to pediatric health care leaders, they’re worried about the backlog of children awaiting surgeries.

Today, of the children waiting for surgeries, 50% are waiting longer than is medically recommended — that compares to a pre‑pandemic number of 35%. One leader told me that this is probably one of the worst in the industrial world and called it embarrassing.

Senator Gold, what is the Government of Canada doing to work with provinces to increase the capacity of critical services for our children and families? After all, these are not issues that are going to go away after the flu season is over.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question and for underlining the challenges that all families in Canada are facing in this flu season.

I don’t need to remind the honourable senators or Canadians of the steps that they can take to protect themselves, whether masking, covering their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, staying home when sick and washing their hands.

The Government of Canada continues to work with the provinces and territories to address the challenges they are facing in the funding, management and organization of their health care services. For its part, the Government of Canada has taken significant steps by establishing the Coalition for Action for Health Workers to inform immediate and long-term solutions to address these challenges, including challenges in the workforce; introducing measures to facilitate the entry of foreign national physicians as permanent residents; and announcing a Chief Nursing Officer for Canada to provide strategic advice from a nursing perspective to Health Canada on priority, policy and program areas.

The government’s priority remains to do its part to work with provinces and territories and, as the Minister of Health has said on previous occasions, invite the provinces and territories and the leaders of those provinces and territories to allow the Ministers of Health to work with the Minister of Health of Canada to find durable solutions for the challenges that face us all.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. The short answer is yes, the government has always been willing to work with the provinces and territories not only to provide funding but also to contribute to creating a national vision for health care that delivers for all Canadians.

The government knows that the health care systems in Canada — because there are as many as there are provinces and territories — are facing significant challenges and that the only way out of this is to work together.

The government remains ready to work with provinces and territories to further discuss health care priorities, including pediatric care. That is the aim. The government is hoping it has the collaboration of the provinces to reduce backlogs, support health care workers, enhance access to family health services and — using the data that is gathered by the provinces with our digital technologies — better serve Canadians going forward.

Senator Loffreda: Thank you for that reassurance, Senator Gold.

In a column published last week, Stephen Van Dine wrote that:

. . . Canada’s influence at that table —

— that of the Arctic Council, which was created in 1996 in Ottawa —

— has begun to wane, especially in comparison to financial commitments made by other nations including Norway and Denmark as well as the United States and Russia.

We know that Canada has made important investments and commitments to addressing domestic issues for northern residents and Indigenous peoples in the Arctic, but with the increasing traffic in the region and the interests of other nations in this part of the world, I feel that Canada needs to do more to reestablish itself as an Arctic powerhouse. We need to take this issue more seriously.

What is the government doing to advance and protect our foreign interests in the region?

Hon. Patricia Bovey: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.

The situation at the National Gallery needs to be resolved. I ask my question, Senator Gold, declaring that I do know all, or almost all, of the individuals on every aspect of this truly unfortunate situation. I ask my question seeking resolution and understanding.

Can you confirm that the search for a permanent director will start as soon as possible, and that candidates will be required to have a background and experience in art history or in contemporary expression, as well as a track record in directing art galleries?

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan: My question is for the government leader.

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights has been working extensively to understand the extent of Islamophobia in Canada. Recently, testimony by officials from the Canada Revenue Agency as well as from the Office of the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson shed light on systemic biases in the Canadian government. We learned that the CRA has been obstructing the ombudsperson’s investigation on the grounds of national security and his lack of jurisdiction. The CRA Charities Directorate’s director general shared that the framework used for audits was not established or created at the CRA.

Leaders in the Muslim charity sector have been speaking out against systemic biases for years now, and their fears have since been confirmed by reports by the University of Toronto Institute of Islamic Studies and the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group.

Leader, why did it take a Senate study on Islamophobia to finally get the ball rolling on this issue?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Are senators ready for the question?

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the third time?

(On motion of Senator Clement, bill referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.)

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Gagné, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

[English]

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?