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.

Hon. Raymonde Gagné (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 2 p.m.