Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our esteemed colleague Senator Pat Bovey.

Since 2016, Senator Bovey has made important contributions to our debates here in the chamber, and in serving on the Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Rules, Transport and Communications, and Official Languages, as well as on the Special Committee on the Arctic.

As the first art historian and museologist to be appointed to the Senate, Senator Bovey has not only brought to our attention some of the pressing issues that Canadian artists face, but she has also been instrumental in showcasing the representations and visual voices of Canadians here on Senate premises. For example, she was the first to showcase the work of Black Canadian artists whose art is too often neglected in Canadian society. When visitors come to tour the Senate of Canada building and admire its art, their experience is very much enhanced by Senator Bovey’s leadership.

During the Forty-second Parliament, Senator Bovey served as the Senate sponsor of Bill C-55 — which brought forward important changes to the Oceans Act to create more marine protected areas off our coastlines, and was critical in advancing key components of the Government of Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan. Thanks to her leadership and advocacy, our country has made incredible strides in better protecting our precious marine and coastal areas, which are vital to our environmental health.

Over the years, Senator Bovey has been equally engaged in her home province of Manitoba. For example, she led the way in launching an inquiry into the 2018 tragic train derailment in northern Manitoba, which took the lives of two men from The Pas. And I am aware that she participates in walks with the Bear Clan Patrol on the streets of Winnipeg, lending a hand in picking up needles and helping some of the most vulnerable Winnipeggers, who are in distress and face hardships.

[Translation]

Our paths crossed many times over the years, whether at the Université de Saint-Boniface, where she worked as an arts management consultant, at St. Boniface Hospital’s Buhler Gallery, where she worked as the director and curator, or at the University of Manitoba, where she chaired the board of governors. However, I am grateful for the fact that we became fast friends in the Senate of Canada and in airports — yes, airports.

Pat, you are a passionate, caring woman, an experienced historian, a relationship builder and a strong and inclusive voice for artists.

[English]

Thank you, Pat, for your contribution to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I received a notice from the Leader of the Progressive Senate Group who requests, pursuant to rule 4-3(1), that the time provided for the consideration of Senators’ Statements be extended today for the purpose of paying tribute to the Honourable Patricia Bovey, who will retire from the Senate on May 15, 2023.

I remind senators that, pursuant to our rules, each senator, other than Senator Bovey, will be allowed only three minutes and they may speak only once.

Is it agreed that we continue our tributes to our colleague Senator Bovey under Senators’ Statements? We will therefore have up to 33 minutes for tributes, not including the time allotted for Senator Bovey’s response. Any time remaining after tributes would be used for other statements.

Hon. F. Gigi Osler: Honourable senators, I rise today to recognize the service of my colleague from Manitoba the Honourable Pat Bovey. Senator Bovey was one of the first people to reach out and welcome me to this chamber when my appointment was announced last year.

But, dear colleagues, while you may know her as a distinguished senator or author or art historian, I must inform you that there are some aspects of her life that have been omitted from her official biography, and I feel obliged to share them with you today.

For example, did you know that she is a marriage commissioner? In September 2020, it was the Honourable Pat Bovey who officiated the marriage between my aunt Sally Osler and her now-husband, Donald Benham. Furthermore, it was then that Senator Bovey revealed that were it not for a twist of fate, she could have been a star on the dance stage. In her speech at the wedding, Senator Bovey told us that her parents had been good friends with my aunt’s parents. Both mothers enrolled them in a ballroom dancing class with a teacher whom we will call Mrs. Wendt. Senator Bovey told the congregation:

The fall session was great. We had fun, sort of. I remember eating an awful lot of doughnuts. It was such a success that the parents decided in January there would be another term of ballroom dancing. Two weeks into the second session of these ballroom dancing lessons, Mrs. Wendt didn’t turn up. Mrs. Wendt went with all the money that our parents had paid for the second session.

And so, Senator Bovey’s dance career went out the door with Mrs. Wendt, and we can only wonder what could have been.

Undeterred, she went on to become the director of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and then the director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

She has sat on more than a dozen boards, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts.

She chaired the University of Manitoba’s board of governors.

Since her Senate appointment in November 2016, she proposed two pieces of legislation, and initiated a dialogue on the value of Canadian art to society and culture.

She chaired the Senate’s Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group, and oversaw the installation of the Senate’s first art display to honour Black artists.

Despite the demands of her busy schedule, she wrote and published two books on Canadian artists — all while fitting in visits with her beloved children and grandchildren.

Senator Bovey may be retiring from this chamber today, but I know that she will continue to be a powerful force.

On behalf of the people of Manitoba, I thank Senator Bovey for her work and dedication.

Meegwetch.

Hon. Marty Klyne: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our remarkable colleague Senator Patricia Bovey. The extent of Senator Bovey’s passion for advancing the arts and advocating for social justice issues is matched only by her generous heart. Senator Bovey has devoted her life to championing the arts, having had a long career in the visual arts as a curator and director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, a board member of the Canada Council for the Arts, art historian, professor, author and, for many years, a management consultant in the arts and not-for-profit sector.

Senator Bovey has been a dynamic presence in the Senate since her appointment in 2016. In addition to the arts, her work has included a focus on Canada’s Arctic, oceans and fisheries and Indigenous and foreign affairs. As acting Senate Speaker, she represented the Speaker at international meetings. As a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, she initiated the Cultural Diplomacy at the Front Stage of Canada’s Foreign Policy study. She also served as a deputy chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications and the Special Senate Committee on the Arctic. Fittingly, she chaired the Senate’s Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group, which installed the first works of Black Canadian artists in the Senate of Canada since 1867.

She served as an executive member of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology and as a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages and the Standing Senate Committee on Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament.

Senator Bovey sponsored bills to expand marine protected areas, establish a parliamentary visual artist laureate and highlight the essential role of artists. She has been a valuable and energetic member of the Progressive Senate Group since 2020, having served as a liaison.

I trust I speak for all of us, colleagues, when I say that Senator Bovey has been a beacon of inspiration for all those who have had the privilege of working with her. As she steps down from her position in the Senate, we can all take comfort in the knowledge that Senator Bovey’s legacy will endure, and we look forward to her continuing contributions to Canada.

Thank you. Hiy kitatamihin.

Hon. Nancy J. Hartling: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to Senator Patricia Bovey as she retires. In November 2016, I had the great pleasure of first meeting her when we were sworn into the Red Chamber on the same day, along with Senators Woo, Boniface, Cormier and Pate. We were all new, finding our way together and creating an incredible bond.

Patricia and I were seatmates in the early days. She was the queen of the arts with a great, big heart and lots and lots of energy. She has an incredible sense of humour with a unique laugh, and I have seen her kindness to many in this place. As a senator, she has exceptionally served on many committees, acted as Speaker pro tempore, travelling and representing the Senate both nationally and internationally. She has raised the profile of arts and culture and their importance.

Today, many of us will tell you about her accomplishments in the Red Chamber, but I would also like to share a bit more about the Pat that I have come to know and some of the things that are unique to her character.

Pat was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, later moving to Ottawa. She is the middle child with two brothers. Her parents supported and encouraged her endeavours. She was an avid piano player, teaching lessons, and perhaps could have made it her vocation. She loved skating in the winter, and she still seems to be skating as she walks briskly with purpose in her high heels. She was in a band and played the steel drums. This might be something, Pat, you could do in retirement.

Pat studied at several universities in art history, music history, and her passion grew in the arts. She has published over a dozen books, including her latest one, Western Voices in Canadian Art.

Pat and her husband, John Bovey, settled in Victoria, B.C., raising their two daughters. Sadly, John Bovey passed away in 2005. She later married the Honourable John Harvard, and they had many happy years together until he too passed away, in 2016. Pat told me how lucky she was to have had two very special Johns in her life.

Her daughters and their families, including her four grandchildren, now live in London, England. She loves spending time with them. We are pleased that her family is here with us today.

Pat performed many important roles in her life, including curator, director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, adjunct professor in art history, author and senator. Many of us call her our friend and colleague, but I want to share how her Senate staff member Christine Sentongo-Andersen described Senator Bovey:

She is a breath of fresh air who is extremely positive and always looking for a solution, rather than complaining about the current situation. It was like I had written down all the things I wanted in a Senator and the paper had flown up the chimney and she appeared floating down with an umbrella. She was like Mary Poppins while supporting me to realize my goals.

After she told me that, folks, this image has stuck in my head, and I see Pat with her umbrella, singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious with joy and laughter.

Many of us acknowledge her as a hard-working and dedicated person with a passion for art and culture. She believes that art is a universal language and the arts certainly are a lever for social and cultural change. Art tells stories of the past, present and future through images, words, movement and music. Let’s honour Pat’s legacy by promoting her vision and dreams.

We will miss you, Pat, and we thank you for your incredible contribution, but I know that this isn’t the end of your story. There is a next chapter waiting to be written. Thank you.

Hon. Salma Ataullahjan: Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend Senator Bovey.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Senator Bovey through the Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group. This working group has become a vibrant group under her leadership and is a testament to Senator Bovey’s commitment to the arts in Canada. This is quite a feat, as our meetings are sporadic and often fall during busy weeks, when we are all tired, stressed and struggling to find time to complete all of our work.

In spite of this, Senator Bovey chairs our meetings with energy and joy, enthusiastically sharing updates on upcoming art installations in the Senate, artists who have agreed to loan us their art and possible collaborations to showcase important issues that have been raised by fellow senators. Even the Senate building itself is a representation to her outstanding commitment and determination. Artworks by Canadian artists grace every possible nook and cranny, offering visibility for their work and often sparking discussions among senators, staff and guests. What I am trying to say is that Senator Bovey is the heart and soul of the Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group, and I will miss you greatly.

Senator Bovey, thank you for bringing Canadian artists and their work to the Senate of Canada. I wish you well as you retire and move on to new challenges.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Alixe and Katherine Bovey, Senator Bovey’s daughters; her son-in-law Rory Dalziel; her brothers Ted and Bill Glover; and her sister-in-law Rubeth Glover. They are accompanied by other friends and family.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Alixe and Katherine Bovey, Senator Bovey’s daughters; her son-in-law Rory Dalziel; her brothers Ted and Bill Glover; and her sister-in-law Rubeth Glover. They are accompanied by other friends and family.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.