Hon. Nancy J. Hartling: Honourable senators, I rise to pay tribute to the late Senator Mabel DeWare from Moncton, New Brunswick. Mabel led an extraordinary life full of accomplishments. I believe she will be remembered most fondly for her warmth and ability to make every person she met feel like they were truly important.

I had the honour to attend her funeral in August, when her life was celebrated by family, friends, colleagues and community leaders. She lived until she was 96 years old, and maintained her sense of humour until the very end.

Mabel spent the better part of her life working or volunteering to improve her community and her province, in addition to being a loving mother to 4 children, grandmother to 9, great‑grandmother to 14 and devoted wife to Ralph.

Many first learned about Mabel during her rise in curling. She skipped her Moncton team to many championships. In 1963, her team became New Brunswick’s first women’s national curling champions. She was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame for the feat. In 1979, she helped establish the World Women’s Curling Championship.

Although Mabel had a career as a dental assistant, her passion for public service led her into provincial politics. In 1978, she was elected as the MLA for the Moncton West riding in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, and she served for two consecutive terms. She was a trailblazer, becoming the first woman to be Minister of Labour and Manpower, later becoming Minister of Continuing Education and then Minister of Advanced Education and Training.

In 1990, she was appointed to the Senate of Canada by Brian Mulroney, serving until 2001. In this place, Mabel was remembered for her compassion and kindness. She was the first woman to become Opposition Whip, and is remembered by her caucus colleagues as good-humoured and sunny. Her tradition of donning a blue Santa Claus suit each Christmas was a particular crowd pleaser.

Former Senator Erminie Cohen said it best:

To every position she holds, she gives everything she has. Mabel is a people person. Her warmth and friendly disposition, the twinkle in her blue eyes and the smile on her lips endear her to everyone. She loves a good party, enjoys a good laugh and tells a mean joke.

One of her practical jokes was to remove five red light bulbs from the Senate Christmas tree and replace them with “Conservative” blue bulbs.

Her wit was legendary. Once, during her tenure as Minister of Labour, she visited a mine in northern New Brunswick. She was asked dismissively before an assembly of men what she, a woman, could possibly know about labour. She replied without hesitating, “I know more about labour than any of you ever will! A woman in labour always delivers!!”

A few years ago, I had the pleasure to meet Mabel’s granddaughter at an event where I was speaking about workplace harassment. Her granddaughter told me how much Mabel wished she could have attended, but that her health wouldn’t permit it.

Senator Mabel DeWare has been a great role model for me and an example of how forging friendships based on mutual respect and compassion can reach across all political boundaries.

She will be missed by our community, but especially by her family.

Thank you for serving Canada.