Monday, July 23 – Senator A. Raynell Andreychuk is pictured with Nadine Wilson (left), Member of Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan. Ms. Wilson chaired the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Annual Meeting session where Senator Andreychuk discussed the topic of Evolution of Ethics in Parliament. Her presentation was part of the 56^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Canadian Regional Conference in Ottawa.

Friday, July 27 – Senator Wanda Thomas Elaine Bernard (center) meets with members of Audmax Inc., a Greater Toronto Area organization whose mission is to empower organizations and individuals with the knowledge and skills to successfully achieve their vision of success. Audmax Inc. works with Correctional Service Canada to help offenders reintegrate into their communities. They are passionate about bringing change and making a difference in the community.

Wednesday, August 1 – Senator Jim Munson meets rhythmic gymnastics dancers and members of Team Ontario at the Special Olympic Canada 2018 Summer Games in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Senator Munson is pictured with (from left to right) Kimana Mar, Sophie Anne Lacourse-Pudifin, Emily Byrne, and Kate Brubacher.

Sunday, August 5 – Senator Wanda Thomas Elaine Bernard attends the 156^th annual Emancipation Festival in Owen Sound, Ontario. The festival is the longest running emancipation festival in North America. From left to right: Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy, Senator Bernard, festival organizer Dorothy Abbott, Grey County Warden Stewart Halliday, and Member of Provincial Parliament Bill Walker.

Monday, August 6 – Senator Marilou McPhedran (center) and Senator René Cormier (right) attend Leaving No One Behind, the Equal Rights Coalition Global Conference on LGBTI Human Rights and Inclusive Development in Vancouver, British Columbia. The senators are pictured with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Henk van der Zwan (left).

Monday, August 13 – Senator Ratna Omidvar was a keynote speaker and panelist at the WC2 Toronto 2018 Symposium – “Migration, the City and the University” with writer John Ralston Saul (center) and journalist Haroon Siddiqui (right).

Wednesday, August 15 – Hellenes and Greek Orthodox across Canada and around the world marked dekapentavgoustos, or day of the Virgin Mary, last week. Senator Leo Housakos celebrated the day at the Ottawa Greek Festival. Senator Housakos is pictured with former Senator Anne C. Cools and members of Ottawa’s Greek community.

Wednesday, August 15 – Senator Salma Ataullahjan attends an Indian Independence Day reception with former Senator Asha Seth and her husband Dr. Arun Seth, in Brampton, Ontario.

Friday, August 17 – Senator Joseph A. Day and Senator Yuen Pau Woo meet with Dr. Jonathan K. S. Choi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), in Ottawa. They discussed culture, education, technology and other shared interests between Hong Kong, China and Canada.

Monday, August 20 – Senator Marilou McPhedran (front center) wraps up 10 days of teaching at the University of Winnipeg Global College. Every August, Senator McPhedran teaches an intensive pilot course for the education program of the new Canadian Museum for Human Rights called Emerging Issues in Human Rights, which she designed in collaboration with the museum and Rotary World Peace Partners. The course examines “lived rights” through voices, perspectives and actions of individuals and groups working for human rights.

Sunday, August 19 – Senator Salma Ataullahjan joins hundreds of community members in celebrating Pakistan Independence Day in Winnipeg’s Jinnah Park.

Thursday, August 16 – Senator Percy Mockler visits Rendez-vous des artistes [available in French only], a painting and sculpture symposium located in Saint-Léonard, New Brunswick, celebrating its 15^th anniversary this year. Senator Mockler (right) meets the symposium’s co-founders, artist André Coppens (left), from Belgium, and local artist Clarence Bourgoin (center). Rendez-vous des artistes is the largest gathering of Maritime painters and sculptors, allowing visitors to see more than 100 painters and sculptors at work in one place.

Other events that senators participated in:

• Thursday, July 26 – Senator Ratna Omidvar moderated a panel discussion on refugee employment hosted by Participant Media and Refugee Career Jumpstart Project (RCJP). RCJP is a Canadian non-profit organization focused on streamlining the process between the arrival of refugees and their employment. Senator Omidvar was joined by panelists Tareq Hadhad (Peace by Chocolate), Jake Allen (LinkedIn), Mark Wallace (Cority Software), and Ruba Bilal (Al-Qazzaz Foundation for Education and Development).