SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Dwight Ball

Honourable senators, I am pleased to rise today to reflect on the leadership style and political approach that the thirteenth premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Honourable Dwight Ball, took during his time in office.

Dwight Ball served as premier with distinction from 2015 to 2020 — a time of significant financial turmoil and then historic social change during the global pandemic. In fact, then-Minister of Health and Community Services John Haggie said that Premier Ball’s leadership had been key in putting Newfoundland and Labrador at the forefront of the jurisdictions that had been successful in managing the first wave of the virus.

Dwight and I began working together in 2016, when he asked me to stay on as the chair of our provincial university, Memorial University, even though I had been appointed by the government he had just defeated.

We went on to work together on important legacy projects at the university, including the completion of the world-class $325‑million Core Science Facility on our St. John’s campus. The new building draws inspiration from the North Atlantic’s icebergs and the local marine environment, including their rugged shapes and colours. The design exemplifies Memorial University’s commitment to sustainability, with chilled beams and a heat recovery wheel — reducing the building’s energy use by 40% compared to a conventional design. It also features an 82-foot-long blue whale skeleton suspended in the atrium, symbolizing the university’s ocean-related expertise, and serving as a source of inspiration for future scientists and researchers.

In Dwight’s leadership style, he reflected our shared background in closely knit rural communities with strong faith traditions. Dwight preferred collaboration rather than confrontation, and he was always respectful of the views of others even when he strongly disagreed with them.

As I reflected on his presence today, with the country facing a combination of divisive economic, environmental, political and geopolitical issues, I was thankful for the reminder that good public policy does not dictate placing partisan concerns ahead of independent and collaborative decision making.

Thank you, Dwight, for your public service, and best wishes for the future. I hope to see you at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Port de Grave annual boat lighting this holiday season.

Thank you, colleagues.