SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group

Honourable senators, today I rise as a member of the Artwork and Heritage Advisory Working Group, under the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, to draw your attention to the work this group is doing here in the Senate.

Our members are Senators Ataullahjan, Cardozo, Cormier and Karetak-Lindell. One of the tasks the working group is overseeing is the display of artwork in committee rooms, working closely with the Senate curatorial staff on the selection of works. Part of this work is the Visual Voices program, a rotating exhibit of artwork with themes that highlight senators’ work while also showcasing the work of artists from across this great country, including those represented in national collections.

In committee Room B45, here in the Senate of Canada Building, a new display brings together four artists whose works offer distinct yet complementary perspectives on transportation, collectively exploring movement, connection and infrastructure that shapes daily life.

These six pieces call attention to studies on the evolution and complexities of Canada’s transportation infrastructure by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. I’m happy to share a little bit about these pieces with you.

On loan from the Government of Ontario’s collection are two paintings by Serbian-Canadian painter Moma Markovich that feature both rural and urban road infrastructure. Modern Intersection, from 1967, depicts the dense layering of a major highway interchange; while Snow Removal, from 1960, shows a snow blower clearing a quiet road after a winter storm.

On loan from the collection of the Canada Council Art Bank are two drawings by Pudlo Pudlat, an Inuk artist from Nunavut, that depict transportation by air and sea in the North. The untitled works underscore issues of access, distance and seasonal constraints.

On loan from the Global Affairs Canada Diplomatic Art Collection, Point Saint Charles Interactive, 2003, is a mixed media collage by Métis-Acadian artist Eric Walker. It highlights the railway’s central role in shaping Canada and its national identity, and it emphasizes the railway’s importance as a main artery for shipping goods.

Finally, coming from the Senate’s own Artwork and Heritage Collection, Eryn O’Neill’s painting captures the transformation of the Chief William Commanda Bridge in her hometown of Ottawa. The municipality rehabilitated the former rail bridge and reopened it in 2023 as a pedestrian and cycling path, signalling a shift in values and urban priorities.

The displays were installed in February of this year and will be on display until early 2027.

Honourable colleagues, I encourage you to visit room B45 to look at the new Visual Voices display to admire these impactful pieces of Canadian art. Thank you. Meegwetch.