Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. With respect, esteemed colleague, the government has taken action to support victims of sexual exploitation. I note that in Quebec, for example, the government supports the organization Alliance-Jeunesse Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, and that it is also working with Maison Marie-Frédéric and other community partners to provide a range of services and activities for youth between the ages of 16 and 30 who are victims of sexual exploitation or human trafficking on the south shore and in the Quebec City area.

The Minister of Justice has also provided financial assistance through the Victims Fund. The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the rights of all Canadians and providing better access to justice to the vulnerable.

[English]

Hon. Brian Francis: Senator Downe, the short answer to your question is that, in the coming months, the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples intends to undertake a review of federal implementation of past legislation impacting Indigenous people which will directly or indirectly touch upon the areas you have identified. Before the summer, the committee hopes to report on the federal implementation of former Bill S-3, which was concerned with inequities under the Indian Act.

We are also working to narrow the focus of an in-depth term study on the federal government’s implementation of the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was released in 2019 and outlines changes needed to ensure the safety, social, economic, political and cultural health and prosperity of Indigenous women and girls, as well as LGBTQ2S people.

In the fall, we will turn our attention to former Bill C-15, which requires federal laws, policies and practices to be in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Article 3, in particular, acknowledges that Indigenous peoples have the right to freely pursue our own economic, social and cultural development. The Aboriginal Peoples Committee is interested in receiving an update on the development of the action plan which is under way and will consider whether its subsequent implementation will result in tangible improvements in the lives of present and future generations. I hope that answers your question.

Senator Seidman: In its report, the independent review panel recommended that the government restore the position of technical adviser to the Global Public Health Intelligence Network to ensure the network’s analysts and subscribers receive necessary and timely technical support and advice. This position had been phased out in 2017.

The independent review panel also stated it had been informed that the network had received an additional $830,000 through the Fall Economic Statement 2020.

Leader, how has this funding been expended? Did any of it go towards hiring a technical adviser?

Senator Gold: Thank you again. I will add those specific questions to my inquiry. I hope to have an answer as quickly as I can.

Hon. Sabi Marwah: Thank you, senator, for that question. I don’t think it is really a double standard. I don’t think you can compare doing an exercise workout to sitting in the Senate Chamber or in the hallways. There you are going through an exercise. You are exhaling. And it’s also recommended that masking should be required unless you can keep the two-metre distancing. The change rooms all have mandatory masking. All of the aspects of the gym are mandatory masking, except when you are exercising. I think that’s an appropriate application of the guidelines.

Hon. Raymonde Saint-Germain: Honourable senators, two families have come together today to pay tribute to our late colleague, Josée Forest-Niesing.

Robert, Véronique and Philippe, as you mourn your spouse and mother, please know that we, the members of the large Senate family, are also mourning the loss of a colleague who was dearly loved and greatly appreciated. My heart also goes out to her team, Louise Mercier and Nour El-Farouk, who lost a wonderful and inspiring boss.

We all had loved ones among the some 39,000 Canadians who lost their lives to COVID-19. Josée was one of them.

Everyone will agree that Josée was a generous, competent, dedicated and resilient woman, who had a very promising future in the Senate. She was a family woman and very proud of hers. We all heard about the achievements of Jacob and Léo, who are obviously the world’s best grandsons.

In just three years in the Senate, Josée accomplished a great deal. It was really something to hear her speak with conviction, switching back and forth from one official language to the other without hesitation, passionately making her case. Josée knew how to make a strong, tactful and bold argument.

Yes, Josée was bold. I still remember one of her very first speeches in the Senate. It was during one of our heated debates with one of our most experienced debaters, the formidable Senator Don Plett. New to this chamber — which would have been enough to intimidate many but not Josée — she stood with determination and confidence and took an active role in the debate. If memory serves me correctly, she did a great job of it.

That is what I think best describes Senator Forest-Niesing’s record in the Senate: her courage and willingness to express her opinions on issues that were important to her, with openness and a desire to educate. She knew how to express a different point of view and take an objective second look at the legislation, with relevance and elegance. This earned her everyone’s respect. Josée’s contribution, despite her short term of office, was also significant within the Internal Economy Committee, where she was able to put her expertise as a lawyer to good use in the governance of our institution.

Our memory of Josée is that of a woman of integrity, competence, determination and humility. She has forever left a mark on the Senate, and it was a privilege to have worked alongside her. On behalf of the Independent Senators Group, I salute her and thank her one last time, while again extending our most sincere condolences to her family and friends.

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

Motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Plett negatived on the following division:

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

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, as you know, our colleague Josée Forest-Niesing passed away in November in her Sudbury home. The Senate of Canada is known for its stance in favour of minority rights. That reputation endures thanks to senators who take great care to ensure those rights are respected. Senator Forest-Niesing volunteered with many different community organizations, so she was destined to serve as one of the Senate’s advocate for respect for official languages.

In her November 3, 2020, statement, she reminded us of the following:

Canada’s two official languages have equal constitutional status. One is not the main language which then gets translated into the other.

She encouraged us to take steps to make that equality part of our daily reality and to pay special attention to this issue during these uncertain pandemic times. On June 3, she argued in favour of introducing a bill to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act to include national guarantees of bilingualism in court proceedings.

Senator Forest-Niesing’s premature death is a great loss to the Senate and official language minority communities. May her death inspire us all to pursue her passion for access to justice in both our official languages.

I had the privilege of meeting her family and members of her community. The love, admiration and respect they felt for her, as well as the personal stories they shared about her, clearly showed how deep her roots in her community were and how much her service to others was an integral part of who she was.

Over and above her qualifications as a lawyer and dedicated community member, Senator Forest-Niesing always showed great compassion, a particularly important trait for our institution which is, above all, human.

As Government Representative in the Senate, I offer my condolences to her husband, Robert, her two children, Philippe and Véronique, and her grandchildren.

[English]

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I think it is safe to say that we were all shaken by the news of the recent passing of our dear friend and colleague Senator Josée Forest-Niesing.

The Honourable Senator Forest-Niesing may have been a member of this chamber for only three short years, but, in that time, she made a significant impression on all of us. As has already been shared by my colleague Senator Saint-Germain, she made an impression on me when she challenged me, both here and in the Subcommittee on Long Term Vision and Plan.

She could be very disarming with her brilliant and warm smile. Yet, she was also tenacious and fiercely dedicated to her work, her community and her values. These qualities served her well and gave her substantial influence as a senator, a trial lawyer, an advocate and, no doubt, as a friend, wife and mother.

Her focus, her attentiveness and her eloquence were hallmarks of who she was as a person but also as a compassionate and impactful parliamentarian.

I will always remember fondly my 2019 trip to Ukraine with Senator Forest-Niesing and Senator Boniface. We travelled together as Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe observers of the early parliamentary elections in Ukraine, and we also had an opportunity to visit the Holodomor memorial in Kyiv. It was a very enjoyable trip with my two senate colleagues. I will always treasure the opportunity I had to get to know Josée in a very real and personal way.

I know that we all treasure the privilege we had of working with Senator Forest-Niesing here in the Senate. Canada is better for her service and her contribution as a senator. But, as you know, her dedication to public service began long before this place and is well documented. Over the years, she served on many boards of directors, from the Art Gallery of Sudbury, to the Carrefour francophone de Sudbury, the Centre canadien de francais juridique and the University of Sudbury.

Senator Forest-Niesing was a proud, devoted and passionate northern Franco-Ontarian, and her voice will be greatly missed in this chamber.

Her maiden speech was a tribute praising Gaétan Gervais, another great Franco-Ontarian from Sudbury. At the time, she concluded by saying:

Colleagues, please join me in thanking Gaétan Gervais and paying tribute to him, as we lost him to a better place.

On behalf of the Conservative caucus, I think it only fitting that I say: Colleagues, please join me in thanking Senator Josée Forest-Niesing and paying tribute to her, as we lost her to a better place.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to her husband, Robert, and her children, Véronique and Philippe. May God strengthen them, and all of us, as we grieve her early departure.

Hon. Jane Cordy: Honourable senators, on November 20 we all received the shocking and sad news that our colleague and friend Senator Josée Forest-Niesing had passed away. She was only 56. Appointed in 2018, Senator Forest-Niesing only served in the Senate for just over three years, but in those three years it was clear to anyone who met her that she brought to this chamber a real passion and dedication to get things done.

Senator Busson, Senator Griffin and I had the pleasure of serving on the Senate Committees Mandates Working Group with Josée. We were a small group and worked closely together over several months to produce recommendations and ideas on how to best update our committee mandates.

One of our working group meetings was the last time I spoke to Josée. She was very ill at the time but insisted on taking part in the meeting’s discussions from her bed with the video off. She passed away only days later. Unfortunately, Senator Forest-Niesing was not with us when we completed our final report and presented it to the Senate Standing Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament.

Colleagues, Josée’s passing is the loss of a strong voice in this chamber as an advocate for minority language communities. She defended access to justice and to public service in both official languages and in sign language. Her advocacy for Indigenous communities will also remain a part of her legacy.

So many from her community have spoken, honouring the impact she made over her lifetime of public service. This lifetime of service and experience would have only further enriched our work here in the Senate.

We will miss her friendship and her wonderful smile, as well as her valuable contributions to our work here in the Senate. Josée had so much to offer and left us far too soon.

On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I wish to extend our deepest sympathies to her husband, Robert, and to all her family and friends. Thank you.

[Translation]

Hon. Jean-Guy Dagenais: Honourable senators, I too would like to take a moment to pay tribute to our colleague, Josée Forest-Niesing, who passed away from complications of COVID-19.

First of all, there are no words to express how shocked we all were by the news of her passing. Since she was only 56 years old, we had every reason to believe that she would be with us for many years to come, pursuing her commitments. One of her favourite causes was defending the French language.

The Honourable Josée Forest-Niesing was a proud francophone from Ontario who never stopped calling for the respect that is due to the French language in this country. I commend the fact that in her community of Sudbury, her actions contributed to mobilizing the general public, the legal community and the university community to ensure that French remains as their language of use and continues to be taught. The francophone cultural community of Sudbury has just lost a fierce representative of its collective heritage. In the last few days, everyone has recognized the strength of her personal, professional and political commitments.

She was an accomplished jurist, and her actions reached far beyond her region. Senator Forest-Niesing headed the Association of French-Speaking Jurists of Ontario. She founded the Centre canadien de français juridique and she also played a pivotal role in chairing the Ontario Bar Association Official Languages Committee. I hope that all Ontarians, regardless of the language they speak, will do something to pay tribute to her and commemorate her achievements.

I will cherish the memory of our discussions about how I supported her efforts in this chamber last June to have her motion adopted in support of the francophone teaching programs at Laurentian University in Sudbury, which terminated 58% of its French programs for lack of funding, resulting in the departure of 110 teachers.

I also recall the speech she gave in November 2020, in which she pointed out that, in emergency situations such as the one we have been in since March 2019, the government all too often forgoes communications in French for the sake of getting out the message quickly. Senator Forest-Niesing rightly reminded us at the time that everyone has the same fundamental need to receive information, instructions and clear messages. Her message could not be any clearer, and I quote:

Canada’s two official languages have equal constitutional status. One is not the main language which then gets translated into the other.

If, in my own small way, I can continue Senator Forest-Niesing’s fight for respect for official languages in this chamber, I will be proud to do so in her memory. I extend my sincere condolences to her entire family.

Hon. Bev Busson: Dear colleagues and family, how can one describe a loss that is indescribable, explain an event that is unexplainable or accept a fact that is so unfair as to be unacceptable? Here goes.

Since the first time that she rose in the Senate, I was always afraid that if we spoke on a subject, I would get a time after her. She was such a hard act to follow. Senator Josée Forest-Niesing was one of the most amazing people I have ever met, and I have met a lot of extraordinary people.

She became a senator about a month after I did, but from the very beginning I was her biggest fan. When one is appointed to the Senate, I think we all feel unworthy. Senator Josée Forest-Niesing set the standard. She had it all. She was elegant and beautiful, but many of us are blessed with that DNA. She was smart; this is an occupational necessity. She was well educated, as many of us are. She was kind, as we all strive to be. She loved her family with a passion. Don’t we all? Her ethics and principles were above reproach; we all strive to meet that standard.

Josée had all of that, but she also had that quality that is difficult to define and impossible to falsify. She was special. When she walked into a room, she did not have to dominate the conversation. Her presence did that for her. Her passion for truth and her dedication to her country were subtle but obvious.

She was tenacious about the things that mattered to her. First and foremost was her family. She always had pictures on the ready to reinforce the pride she had in her husband, children and grandchildren. Professionally, gender equality, French language rights, Indigenous issues and the modernization of the Senate were passions for her. We spent many a night analyzing what had just happened in the Senate over a glass of wine or two, and we spoke often about the Senate of the future.

In the week prior to her passing, she even virtually joined a Senate meeting from her bed, wanting to make a difference to the end. I am so honoured that this amazing person chose me as a friend. She died far too soon and had so much more yet to give. We have all lost an outstanding Canadian. Her family has lost an amazing wife, sister, daughter, mother and grandmother, and I have lost a true friend.

Her legacy is a standard I continue to strive to be worthy of. I suspect that she and the other angels in heaven will be planning the modernization of heaven, probably wearing ribbon skirts.

We will never forget you, dear friend. You will forever be a hard act to follow.

Hon. Senators: Hear, hear.

[Translation]

Hon. Brian Francis: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our dear colleague and friend Senator Josée Forest-Niesing.

As others have noted, Josée was a proud Franco-Ontarian who was devoted to protecting the rights of francophone minority communities. From her questions to the Government Representative to her motion on the closing of French university programs, Josée was passionate in her advocacy.

During her time here, Josée was committed to improving the lives and futures of Indigenous people. I had the pleasure of travelling with her as part of Canada’s delegation to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2019. Last year, we sat as members of the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples during our study of Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She took so much pride in this work.

Colleagues, I want to tell you about a special moment I shared with Josée.

In October 2018, I had the privilege of being sworn in with her on the same day. That day, I brought an eagle feather with me, which for First Nations people is one of the most honoured and sacred gifts. Josée knew of the significance. As we were preparing to enter the chamber as the last two to be sworn in, I could see that she was nervous — something I later learned was not common for her. I offered a prayer to the Creator in her name and touched her with the eagle feather. I believe she found this gesture to be powerful and reassuring. When she entered the upper chamber, she was calm and filled with strength and determination.

Colleagues, we lost a dear member and friend far too soon. However, Canada is a better place because of her presence and influence. Josée’s warmth, generosity and humour will never be forgotten. She will live on in the hearts of all those she touched.

I offer my sincere condolences to her husband, Robert, her children, Philippe and Véronique, and her extended family and friends.

Wela’lin. Thank you, Josée, for your friendship. May the Creator continue to embrace you and hold you tight.

Hon. Rosemary Moodie: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend, colleague and office neighbour, the Honourable Senator Josée Forest-Niesing.

For all of us, Senator Forest-Niesing represented kindness and elegance in manner and approach. She led with her keen intellect and brilliance as an orator, shining her light on all of us. She was a gentle force and a strong voice within the Senate, and her passing has been a great loss for our institution and for Canada.

When I was appointed to the Senate, Josée enveloped me with her kindness, her realism and her wisdom. She was the first person who contacted me to welcome me within a day of my appointment, sharing her own experiences joining the Senate not too long before and offering a guiding hand and a gift of friendship.

She held, and will always hold, a special place in my heart, and she will be missed.

Senator Forest-Niesing served for just over three years, as we have heard. She was an ardent champion for minority language communities. She had a fierce commitment to truth and reconciliation. She was a defender of human rights, social justice and substantive equality for all Canadians in and outside the chamber.

She was never one to let an opportunity pass to fight for the rights of the under-represented.

Colleagues, these are just some of the many ways that Senator Forest-Niesing left her mark in pushing forward to a more just, equitable and inclusive Canada.

Josée wanted to be the best senator for Canadians, a proud legacy that we can all emulate.

To Senator Forest-Niesing’s husband Robert and children Véronique and Philippe, and to the rest of her family, friends and to her community, we want you to know that she will be greatly missed here in the Senate and in our lives as well. We are not the same without her.

To Josée, I’m immensely grateful for the privilege to have known you, worked with you and learned from you.

[Translation]

I miss you a lot, my dear friend and colleague.

Hon. Sabi Marwah: Thank you for the question. To be honest, I would much prefer if you go back to asking questions of Senator Gold.

I did read the news about Motion No. 11 and Motion No. 35 and, I must say, I had the same questions as you did.

When the Translation Bureau came to us last week, they made it very clear that there was a finite amount of capacity in terms of translation services, and there was no way they could increase it in the short term. With that as background, if the House decides to sit for a longer period of time, that increase has to be offset somewhere, Senator Plett. It has to come from somewhere. At this stage, I am hopeful it will not affect the Senate sittings, but I am not so hopeful that it will not affect committee meetings.

We have written to the CEO of the Translation Bureau, and among the many other questions we have asked her, I will reference two: We want to know their assessment of the impact the House of Commons’ Motion No. 11 will have on simultaneous interpretation services the Translation Bureau provides to the Senate and its committees, and, secondly, more specifically, with the House of Commons likely sitting longer hours, will this cause a reduction in simultaneous interpretation for the Senate, or will the resources be reallocated from the resources already provided to the House?

As soon as I get a response, Senator Plett, I will let you know.

Hon. Lucie Moncion: Honourable senators, today is an opportunity to celebrate our friend and colleague.

I want to take this opportunity to share a story. On March 13, 2020, the last sitting day before the Senate shut down because of the pandemic, Josée, Senator Lankin and I travelled together back to our respective cities. Just before getting to Pembroke, Josée pointed at the top of a rock and said, “You see that rock with someone’s name written at the top?” I replied, “Yes, I’ve been making the trip between Ottawa and North Bay for 25 years and I’ve been wondering who that Josée is.” She said, “That’s me. I’m that Josée.”

When she and Robert were studying at the University of Ottawa, they decided to pull over and write their names on the rock. After their children, Philippe and Véronique, were born, they added their names. Josée told me then that she would go back to add her grandson Jacob’s name and then Léo’s.

I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Josée’s husband Robert last week. There was an event at the University of Sudbury, followed by the official opening of the Place des Arts. I should point out that Josée was the longest-serving chair of the University of Sudbury’s board of governors, having served for five years. Josée’s and Robert’s names are prominently displayed in the Place des Arts, and there is even a room dedicated to Josée.

Let me return to the story of the aforementioned rock face. I told Robert, “I noticed that Josée’s name seems even brighter than it was before, as though someone put on a new coat of paint. That is surely the work of an angel.”

As for me, every time I am here, I greet Josée and think of her. I will always have that privilege.

Knowing how deep Josée’s faith was, I would like to read this poem, from an unknown author. It is called Footprints in the Sand.

One night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life.

This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why in times when I needed you the most, you should leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child. I love you and I would never, ever leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

Josée, in letting your light shine, you have given us the opportunity to let ours shine. Your light will always shine in our hearts. Until we meet again, my friend.