SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Andrew Black

Honourable senators, I am pleased to recognize Andrew Black who is the Mayor of Tantramar, New Brunswick. Tantramar is a new municipality in the province made up of the former town of Sackville, the former village of Dorchester and parts of the former local service districts of Point de Bute, Sackville and Dorchester. In addition to his responsibilities with Tantramar, Mayor Black also serves as the President of the Union of the Municipalities of New Brunswick, an organization that represents 54 communities in New Brunswick and over 70% of the population.

Mayor Black is in Ottawa this week for meetings with parliamentarians as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities advocacy week, where they are all working to establish local priorities as well as national priorities.

I had the opportunity to meet Mayor Black several weeks ago to discuss the priorities in his community, including climate change and the impact on the Chignecto Isthmus, which is a significant concern for the residents of Tantramar and beyond.

Andrew is a graduate of Mount Allison University, and has a background as an entrepreneur and business owner. Currently, he works as a peer mentor with Open Sky Co-operative, an organization dedicated to assisting young adults — who face mental health barriers and social disabilities — in building vocational and life skills. They accomplish this through community building and meaningful skills development on an 11-acre farm located within Tantramar.

Primarily, Andrew is most proud of his family. His wife, Kathy, has joined him here today. They have three wonderful children: Phaedra, Roman and Margot.

Andrew, thank you for your leadership and dedication to your community. At the local level, Canada’s mayors and others in leadership positions form the backbone of ensuring that the citizens of Canada are represented — and they are the first step in ensuring that their voices are heard.

On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to welcome you and Kathy to the Senate, and wish you a productive week while you conduct your meetings in the nation’s capital.