Honourable senators, she was renowned, had a distinguished career and outstanding achievements when, in November 2016, she agreed to continue her public service in the Senate of Canada.

For some, the name Gwen Boniface resonated as Madam Commissioner, the first woman to head the Ontario Provincial Police, having also served as Commissioner of the Law Commission of Canada. For others, she was Madam President, also the first woman to head the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, before serving globally as Deputy Executive Director of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Others remembered her earlier in her career as a lawyer and a police officer.

In 2016, already distinguished for her 40 years of public service, Gwen Boniface could have retired quietly and enjoyed a much lighter schedule. Instead, she chose to continue serving in the upper house of Parliament. And here, too, she has distinguished herself by her accomplishments. And there are, indeed, many of them.

She chaired the National Security and Defence Committee and was Joint Chair of the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency. She jointly commissioned, with Senator Hartling and Senator Boyer, a report on intimate partner violence during the pandemic.

In 2019, she worked tirelessly to establish in Orillia a Truth and Reconciliation Roundtable that has met regularly since then with people from Simcoe County, the region where she lives.

She has championed a bill in the Senate on the opioid crisis and has worked to promote awareness of PTSD experienced by first responders and members of the Armed Forces.

She has impressed us with her extensive expertise, her keen understanding of domestic and international issues, her exemplary ethical standards and her pragmatism.

Although we understand her reasons for leaving, we are saddened by the announcement of her imminent departure. Her colleagues unanimously praise her competence, credibility, reliability and wisdom. She has earned the respect not only of her colleagues in the Senate but also of the many members of the House of Commons who have had the opportunity to know her and work with her.

On a more personal level, Gwen has always been discreet, never flaunting her private life. However, her attachment to her family is evident. Every year, at holiday time, she would send us beautiful holiday cards designed by her favourite artist, the oldest of her two grandsons. She, usually so humble, was then immensely proud. I remember, after telling her that these cards were the most beautiful I had ever received, her spontaneous reaction. Referring to her grandsons, Hudson and Grayson, she said, “They are a ray of sunshine in my life.”

Honourable Senator Boniface — dear Gwen — on behalf of the members of the Independent Senators Group, I would like to express our gratitude for your solid contribution to our group and congratulate you on your immense contribution to public service, both in Canada and abroad. You will always be one of us. We wish you many more years of happiness with the sunshine of your life.

Honourable senators, I rise today on behalf of the Government Representative’s Office to bid a fond farewell to a dear colleague.

When I first joined the Senate, I was invited to a dinner to discuss policing in rural communities with several other senators. This included, of course, Senator Boniface. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was in the presence of someone with vast knowledge and experience on the topic.

While walking home after dinner, we continued our conversation, and I realized we shared many similarities — not being afraid of hard work, strong family values and navigating life as women in what has often been considered a “man’s world.”

Speaking of family, just recently, Senator Boniface attended an Ontario Provincial Police event with her son, who is also a police officer. Her son gave his mother the best compliment a mom could receive, which was to tell her publicly how she shaped his life and career by his following in her footsteps.

At a dinner I hosted for Senator Boniface not long ago — and unbeknownst to her — I took the opportunity to do a little investigative work of my own. I asked her what her favourite part of being a senator was. Her answer? Chairing the National Security and Defence Committee, of course.

I also asked what she would miss most, and to no surprise for anyone who knows her well, she answered, “Community work.”

She notably initiated a Truth and Reconciliation Roundtable in the Williams Treaties territory with Indigenous and non-Indigenous members, which continues to grow and evolve through ongoing meetings with local Elders, youth leaders and many other living circles of community.

It would not be a proper tribute if I did not take a brief moment to recognize one of Senator Boniface’s enduring causes. Senator Boniface has been standing up for women and women’s rights in our chamber throughout her tenure. From her inquiry on intimate partner violence to statements marking 50 years of women in policing, she has been recognizing the legacy of the great women who came before her, while also carving a path for those who will follow her.

On behalf of the Government Representative’s Office, Senator Boniface, thank you for being a trailblazer and a visionary; for your calm, steady demeanour that anchored us during hard times; for your humility, kindness and moral courage.

I very much look forward to your visit next year in Newfoundland and Labrador.

We will miss you dearly. Thank you.

Honourable senators, I rise today to pay tribute to our dear colleague the Honourable Gwen Boniface as she retires from the Senate of Canada and begins the next chapter of her life.

Senator Boniface has had a distinguished career both before and during her time in the Senate of Canada. Prior to her appointment to the Senate, she broke significant ground in Canadian law enforcement. After joining the Ontario Provincial Police, or OPP, as a constable in 1977, she rose through the ranks to become the first woman to serve as Commissioner of the OPP in 1998.

She also dedicated her time to Indigenous policing reform and contract policing work in northern and western Ontario.

Following her tenure as OPP Commissioner, Senator Boniface expanded her work internationally for 10 years. Her knowledge and leadership have been valued by many in the law enforcement community across Canada and beyond.

In 2016 Senator Boniface was appointed to the Senate of Canada, where she brought her experience in policing, crime prevention and community engagement to her work as a senator. She has served diligently on several Senate standing committees, including as Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs.

Senator Boniface’s work in the Senate has mirrored her lifelong commitment to community safety and justice. She has been a steadfast advocate on issues such as human trafficking, domestic violence, the opioid crisis, national security and Indigenous reconciliation, including spearheading a community truth and reconciliation initiative in Orillia in 2019.

In discussions about tributes for Senator Boniface, it was clearly evident that senators on both sides of the chamber did not want this day to arrive. Senator Clement’s words capture the sentiments of many, “She is beloved,” and you are truly respected.

On behalf our Conservative Caucus, I would like to extend our best wishes to you, Senator Boniface, as you prepare to leave the Senate. Thank you for your decades of service to Canadians and enduring commitment to justice, equality and reconciliation.

Honourable senators, on behalf of the Progressive Senate Group today, I extend our well wishes and express a bit of sorrow to Senator Boniface, who has decided to exit this chamber early.

Senator Boniface is keenly aware of the meaning of community, having grown up in a rural farm north of Toronto. Her father was a councillor for the Georgina Shores Lake Simcoe. He himself knew a thing or two about community. His desk and name plate are in Senator Boniface’s office to this day on the Hill, and it is a constant reminder to her of whom we represent.

Despite her small-town upbringing, big things awaited her. She began a career in policing, and we have all heard how she rose through the ranks to become the first female commissioner of the OPP. Clearly driven in her journey, she didn’t stop there; she went on to pursue a law degree at Osgoode Hall and was subsequently called to the bar.

After her retirement from the OPP, she decided to move her skills internationally to the Emerald Isle as Deputy Chief Inspector of the Garda Inspectorate. There she helped reform and modernize Ireland’s National Police Service. She grew fond of that country and its people, and we suspect there will be a trip there in the near future.

After her time in Ireland, she served as the Transnational Crime Expert with the United Nations Police Division in New York. There she was tasked with addressing organized crime in conflict and post-conflict countries, all the while, acting as a member of the UN Counter-terrorism Integrated Task Force.

This then led her to the Senate where — as we’ve heard — she was the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs, merely a year after her appointment. She sponsored the impaired driving legislation — that’s the sister legislation to the bill legalizing cannabis — and became the first senator ever to co-chair a joint committee studying the use of the Emergencies Act.

In the words of Senator Peter Harder:

Perhaps most importantly, you initiated your own project on reconciliation in your hometown of Orillia, bringing continued dialogue between residents, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. This has blossomed into a self-sustaining and ongoing project. You reached the pinnacle of your professions and travelled the globe, but you never forgot where you came from and the meaning of community. Your father would be proud.

Senator, we could talk for a long time and say a lot about your accomplishments, but instead, I want to say this: On behalf of all of us, thank you for your pragmatism, thank you for your level-headed demeanour and thank you for your commitment to public service. You will be dearly missed.

Now, may you go off to continue the best job of your illustrious career — as you have said on numerous occasions, “Being a grandma is my best rank yet.” Wela’lioq. Thank you.

Honourable senators, I join you today in celebrating and also lamenting Gwen Boniface’s retirement from the Senate of Canada.

Gwen was sworn in on November 10, 2016, the same week as a number of her colleagues here today: me; Senator Marwah, now retired; Senator Pate; Senator Hartling, who is with us today; Senator Woo; and Senator Cormier. We all quickly became friends.

Senator Boniface has made a huge impact in this place. As Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs, she became a role model for those who followed her, including me. Gwen also served with distinction on the Indigenous Peoples; Foreign Affairs and International Trade; Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament; and Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senators committees in addition to her work in tackling human trafficking, ending domestic violence and helping to address the opioid crisis.

Senator Boniface was previously best known as Ontario’s first female Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, or OPP. This is where I first met Gwen in my role as head of Ontario’s public service. Gwen did her work there as she has done here: with deep professionalism, a spirit of problem solving and an acute understanding of the delicate relationships among the public service, the political level and one of Canada’s largest and most significant law enforcement agencies.

Gwen also stands in the tradition of Canadians who have made significant contributions to governments and conflict resolution in other countries, making a hugely significant and positive impact in her work in Ireland following the Good Friday Agreement of April 10, 1998, which ended sectarian violence in Northern Ireland that stretched back to at least 1921, having also touched England and my hometown of Birmingham, which is also a connection between me and Gwen.

There was no guarantee of success, but Gwen played a pivotal role. As part of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, Senator Boniface contributed to a review of the structure, roles and responsibilities of the Irish police. Gwen said that what she learned working in Ireland is that the history of policing is the history of a country — a philosophy that she was later able to translate into the Canadian context.

Senator Boniface led policing reforms that are widely viewed as among the more ambitious and delicate in the world, moving from a conflict- and paramilitary-influenced approach to policing to a modern civilian- and rights-based approach to policing in both the North and South of Ireland. Gwen has brought deep expertise, superb judgment and emotional intelligence to the Senate, most recently resulting in her appointment to the Special Joint Committee on the Declaration of Emergency.

Gwen, you are going to be sorely missed here. You’ve been a superb model of how we can bring the best of our professional and personal biographies to bear in our important work in this place, especially in view of the modesty and the grace that you’ve demonstrated in this place and to all of us.

Thank you, Senator Boniface. We wish you well with whatever comes next.

Honourable senators, beloved Gwen, today, we rise to recognize and celebrate your remarkable and service as you conclude your tenure in the Senate of Canada. Your career has always been defined by your integrity, dedication and lifelong commitment to public service and the safety of our communities.

Before joining this chamber, Senator Boniface broke significant ground as the first woman commissioner of the OPP. Her leadership in that organization redefined what inclusive, compassionate and community-based policing could look like. My colleagues have highlighted her many remarkable career accomplishments. She brought the same vision and sense of justice with her when she was appointed here in 2016.

In this chamber, Gwen, you’ve brought your practical experience directly into your legislative work. You have served with distinction on committees focused on national security, law enforcement, Indigenous affairs and justice. Your voice has always reflected balance, calling us to uphold both public safety and human rights. Whether examining complex criminal justice reforms, addressing the opioid crisis or advancing reconciliation, your contributions have been thoughtful, evidence-based and always deeply humane.

Beyond Senator Boniface’s policy accomplishments, she has been a friend, a mentor and an inspiration to so many of us in this chamber and across the country. She embodies what it means to serve with both strength and compassion. Her abilities to listen, to build consensus and to lead with humility are qualities that we would all do well to emulate. Add to that her mischievous sense of humour and that lovely twinkle in her eyes.

As she begins her next chapter, we thank her for her decades of service to Canadians and to the global community as a globally respected law enforcement authority, as a senator and particularly as a trailblazer for women in public life. Gwen, your legacy will continue to shape this institution and our country for years to come.

Honourable colleagues, please join me in extending our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes to Gwen for her well-earned and well-deserved retirement and for the time she will spend with her beloved family.

I will always cherish our special bond. I will miss you. My heart is heavy. Iris and I will be on the shore awaiting your landing on the Rock, I promise.

Honourable senators, it is with both a deeply personal pleasure and a sincerely felt sadness that I have to rise today to speak about my outstanding colleague and my dear friend Gwen Boniface as she closes one remarkable chapter in her chronicle of public service.

Gwen’s career has been defined by courage, integrity and trail-blazing leadership. Long before she joined us here in the Senate, she was already making history, becoming the first female Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police. Her leadership skills there earned her other prestigious roles in policing, as my colleagues have described. Beyond that, her reputation was international, modernizing the Irish national police force and guiding the United Nations in matters regarding transnational organized crime, all the while using the strength, fairness and compassion that we have all come to know and love about her. This reminds us that beyond every decision, policy and law that we consider, there are people counting on us to get it right.

For me personally, Gwen has been more than a colleague; she has been my mentor and, dare I say, my friend — and she walks the talk.

On the very day that I was appointed the first female inspector in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, I got a phone call from then-Inspector Boniface of the OPP. I didn’t even know who that was. I remember her saying that she just wanted to reach out because when she was promoted, there were no women ahead of her to call, receive advice from or maybe just talk to. That is the kind of authentic leadership, kindness and generosity of spirit that she is renowned for. We have become lasting friends and confidants.

Both of us have tread a unique path, walking into rooms where women leaders have never stood. She was my sponsor in the Senate and, unknown to her, my role model. It has been both intimidating and inspiring to stand in her shadow.

Whether addressing Indigenous rights, public safety, organized crime issues or community well-being, she has spoken with the authenticity of someone who has seen both the best and the worst of humanity and still offers positive and constructive advice and counsel — often gently, but always firmly.

Gwen, as you retire from this place, know that your influence will not retire with you. You have helped shape a more modern and effective Senate. Your lifelong example will continue to inspire those of us who seek to make a difference in the lives of others through public service, both in and out of uniform.

On behalf of all of us who know you well, I wish you rest and laughter with your friends and family and, most importantly, years and years of joy with your cherished grandchildren. Enjoy your hard-earned retirement that has come from a life of devotion to making Canada a better place. You will be missed, but I will miss you the most. I am among those who will never forget your generosity. From one OG to another, thank you for your service and your friendship.