SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — The Late Honourable Joseph A. Day

Honourable senators, there are people who pass briefly through our lives and yet have an indelible and lasting impact. Such is the case of my meeting with the Honourable Joseph Day.

I didn’t know former Senator Day before I joined the Senate. I had, of course, read about his remarkable career and been impressed by his background: engineer, lawyer, member of the military and marathon runner.

When listening to his speeches in the chamber, I could grasp his discipline, integrity and professionalism. I could see he was an ardent defender of New Brunswick and devoted his entire life to the public cause. However, other than the fact that we were both from New Brunswick, it seemed to me that we had very little in common.

He was from Saint John, an English-speaking city in southern New Brunswick, while I was from Caraquet, a French-speaking town on the Acadian Peninsula. He was a member of the military, while I was an artist. In my eyes, we were not from the same generation, the same background or the same culture, and so I was very intimidated when I ran into him in this chamber and I didn’t dare approach him.

However, one day, when we both happened to be in the senators’ lounge, he came up to me and spoke to me so eloquently in French that my jaw dropped. I realized that I had made assumptions about his linguistic ability and his interest in the French language and Acadia, and that perhaps we had a lot more in common than I thought.

We talked a length about our love for the French language and what a privilege it was to come from the only officially bilingual province in the country. He talked about his love for the Senate and how he wished he didn’t have to retire. We also shared a love of running. He gave me valuable advice on how to increase my endurance if I wanted to run a marathon one day. He told me, “Keep your mind busy and don’t focus too much on each step or each kilometre you run.” That was his advice.

Last year, I participated in the Canada Army Run with no real objective. I was running in this magnificent city, and my conversation with former Senator Day came back to me. I thought of him, his invaluable advice and the way he had so eloquently spoken to me in French. Colleagues, I followed his advice that day, and thanks to him, I completed my second half‑marathon with pride.

Nelson Mandela once said:

If you speak to a man in a language he understands, you speak to his mind; if you speak to him in his own language, you speak to his heart.

Well, the Honourable Joseph Day spoke to my heart that day, and — though I’m sad about his passing — I learned a valuable lesson from my encounter with this remarkable citizen: No matter how different we may seem to be, there is always room for us to meet and celebrate who we are.

Rest in peace, Honourable Joseph Day. I will keep following your valuable advice. That’s a promise straight from the heart. Thank you.