Trudeau Appoints Five New Independent Senators, Filling All Senate Seats

Ottawa, ON – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the appointment of five new independent senators, filling all remaining vacancies in the Senate. The appointments, made by Governor General Mary Simon, include distinguished leaders from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario.

The newly appointed senators are:

• Dawn Arnold (New Brunswick): A longtime public servant with over 30 years of experience in municipal government, community development, and publishing. Arnold made history in 2016 as Moncton’s first female mayor and has been a strong advocate for sustainable city-building.
• Tony Ince (Nova Scotia): A former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia who represented his community for 11 years. Ince is a strong advocate for social justice and diversity, particularly within African Nova Scotian communities. He co-founded and co-chaired the Canadian Congress of Black Parliamentarians, focusing on the rights of Black Canadians.
• Katherine Hay (Ontario): A leading not-for-profit executive dedicated to improving mental health care for children and youth. As President and CEO of Kids Help Phone since 2017, she has expanded the service into Canada’s only national, 24/7, multilingual e-mental health resource for young people.
• Farah Mohamed (Ontario): A champion for young people, newcomers, and women, Mohamed is the CEO of The King’s Trust Canada, a charity founded by King Charles III to support youth employment. She previously served as CEO of the Malala Fund and has received the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal for her contributions.
• Sandra Pupatello (Ontario): A former politician and business leader with extensive experience in economic development. She served as Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade and currently leads Canadian International Avenues Ltd., a consulting firm she founded after a 16-year career as a Member of Provincial Parliament.

The appointments were recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments and were made through a merit-based selection process introduced in 2016. The process is designed to ensure that senators remain independent and capable of addressing Canada’s key challenges and opportunities.

With these latest appointments, all 105 seats in the Senate are now filled.