Honourable senators, it is with mixed emotions that I rise today to add my voice to those of the other senators who are paying tribute to three senatorial giants: Senator Gold, Senator Mégie and Senator Seidman.

Their illustrious careers even before they were called to this august chamber, and their subsequent accomplishments, have had a profound effect on me. I have had the privilege of observing their carriage in form and substance, which has helped shape how I see my role as a senator and the foundational role of the Senate in our Constitution.

To quote from the Companion to the Rules of the Senate:

The Rules of the Senate are the foundation of the Senate’s procedures, but do not by themselves provide a full understanding of how the institution functions on a day‑to‑day basis. Actual practice —

— that is the generosity of spirit, humility and willingness to share experience and expertise, a hallmark of this family that I am privileged to be a part of —

— are only partly expressed in the written provisions. . . .

And so, Senator Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate, a constitutional lawyer and musician, extended such a warm welcome to me. The first call that I received after my appointment by former prime minister Justin Trudeau laid the foundation for the coming days, months and years.

His impact on the ongoing work of the modernization of the Senate as it has transitioned from a traditional two-party system to one composed of multiple caucuses has indeed shaped my appreciation of the living tree doctrine of our Constitution.

Senator Mégie, a distinguished family physician, welcomed me with her kind smile and calm demeanour. Her commitment to ensuring that both official languages are granted the same esteem and value and that French is given the same recognition as English helped me to understand the act and the fact that language is at the very core of identity and culture.

Senator Seidman is a distinguished epidemiologist, whose generosity and kindness are unsurpassed. Her insistence on data and evidence in ascertaining whether there could be unintended consequences as we studied and scrutinized important bills made me know that my feet had taken me to the right place and that the path that I was now charting would be filled with gems and not crumbs along the way.

In closing, I want to extend my best wishes to Senator Gold, Senator Mégie and Senator Seidman. I wish them and their families joy, peace and health in this new, well-deserved chapter of their already fulfilling and extraordinary lives.

Thank you. Meegwetch.