Remembering the fallen of Newfoundland and Labrador: Senator Petten
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In November 2023 — the first time I rose in the Senate Chamber as an independent Senator representing the province of Newfoundland and Labrador — I spoke about the repatriation of an unknown First World War soldier from Northern France. A month ago, on my return from Beaumont-Hamel, France, I rose again to speak on the same solemn topic and quoted the song Sing You Home from the Ennis Sisters:
To this day, Beaumont-Hamel remains a vital piece of our history to be passed to the children of Newfoundland and Labrador. On the morning of July 1, 1916, 800 of our soldiers charged into an onslaught of machine gun fire. Only 68 answered the roll call the next day. The advance halted only because “dead men could advance no further.”
With the repatriation from France of the unknown soldier of Newfoundland and Labrador, all the lost sons of our beloved place have returned.
Last month, I had the honour and privilege to represent the Senate of Canada at ceremonies held in France. I returned to Canada on a flight carrying the exhumed remains of the unknown soldier back home to Newfoundland and Labrador after more than 100 years. This was a remarkable and deeply meaningful experience, which culminated on Memorial Day — July 1 — when the unknown soldier was interred permanently at the refurbished National War Memorial in downtown St. John’s.
I am from the small fishing community of Port de Grave, an hour outside of St. John’s. My parents, Shirley and Vernon Petten, still live in the same house in which I was born and grew up. They instilled in us sisters and brothers a deep love of family, of province and of fishing. Port de Grave — like the whole province of Newfoundland and Labrador — has an enviable reputation for having warm, open and straightforward people.
When I am in Ottawa, I try to bring these same values to every interaction I have with people who come from across Canada, and to reflect the voices of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Making sure I represent the voices of my province is one of the reasons I chose to sponsor Bill C-49, which would amend the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, in the Senate to allow for offshore wind development in jointly managed waters off the coasts of our province and Nova Scotia. This change is vital to our economy and to Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero by 2050, as well as efforts to protect 25% of Canada’s oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
This is also why I joined the Independent Senators Group. As an Independent senator, I am always free to follow my conscience, to consider the input of stakeholders from the province, to apply the guiding principles of my home community and to vote as I see fit in the interest of the nation without partisan considerations or pressures.
The important role played by independent senators is broadly recognized. When asked in a recent poll whether future governments should maintain the current system or go back to the previous way of appointing senators, 69.3% of Canadians said they would prefer to keep the independent appointment process. In Atlantic Canada specifically, 78.5% were in favour of the current process, the highest across Canada.
I believe that senators now better represent the wider population of the country — the places they come from and the diverse ethnic, socio-economic and cultural background of all Canadians — because of the independent appointment process. The raison d’être of the Senate remains unchanged. We proudly represent minority voices while acting in the wider public interest.
Currently, 55% of senators are women, compared to 31% of members of Parliament. Canada ranks 59th worldwide in terms of women’s representation in national lower or single houses of parliament. Given that women make up more than 50% of the population of Canada, this is another way that the Senate is representative of the interests of Canadians in Parliament.
There are currently nine vacancies in the Senate. I believe it is imperative that these seats are filled — with the best candidates — to strengthen the Senate’s ability to represent all the provinces and territories.
In my province, we are proudly celebrating the 75th anniversary of Newfoundland and Labrador joining Confederation. On July 1, as we paid solemn respect to our fallen on Memorial Day, we gave thanks that we are the newest province of the great nation of Canada.
Senator Iris G. Petten represents Newfoundland and Labrador in the Senate.
This article appeared in the July 10, 2024 edition of The Hill Times.
In November 2023 — the first time I rose in the Senate Chamber as an independent Senator representing the province of Newfoundland and Labrador — I spoke about the repatriation of an unknown First World War soldier from Northern France. A month ago, on my return from Beaumont-Hamel, France, I rose again to speak on the same solemn topic and quoted the song Sing You Home from the Ennis Sisters:
To this day, Beaumont-Hamel remains a vital piece of our history to be passed to the children of Newfoundland and Labrador. On the morning of July 1, 1916, 800 of our soldiers charged into an onslaught of machine gun fire. Only 68 answered the roll call the next day. The advance halted only because “dead men could advance no further.”
With the repatriation from France of the unknown soldier of Newfoundland and Labrador, all the lost sons of our beloved place have returned.
Last month, I had the honour and privilege to represent the Senate of Canada at ceremonies held in France. I returned to Canada on a flight carrying the exhumed remains of the unknown soldier back home to Newfoundland and Labrador after more than 100 years. This was a remarkable and deeply meaningful experience, which culminated on Memorial Day — July 1 — when the unknown soldier was interred permanently at the refurbished National War Memorial in downtown St. John’s.
I am from the small fishing community of Port de Grave, an hour outside of St. John’s. My parents, Shirley and Vernon Petten, still live in the same house in which I was born and grew up. They instilled in us sisters and brothers a deep love of family, of province and of fishing. Port de Grave — like the whole province of Newfoundland and Labrador — has an enviable reputation for having warm, open and straightforward people.
When I am in Ottawa, I try to bring these same values to every interaction I have with people who come from across Canada, and to reflect the voices of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Making sure I represent the voices of my province is one of the reasons I chose to sponsor Bill C-49, which would amend the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, in the Senate to allow for offshore wind development in jointly managed waters off the coasts of our province and Nova Scotia. This change is vital to our economy and to Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero by 2050, as well as efforts to protect 25% of Canada’s oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
This is also why I joined the Independent Senators Group. As an Independent senator, I am always free to follow my conscience, to consider the input of stakeholders from the province, to apply the guiding principles of my home community and to vote as I see fit in the interest of the nation without partisan considerations or pressures.
The important role played by independent senators is broadly recognized. When asked in a recent poll whether future governments should maintain the current system or go back to the previous way of appointing senators, 69.3% of Canadians said they would prefer to keep the independent appointment process. In Atlantic Canada specifically, 78.5% were in favour of the current process, the highest across Canada.
I believe that senators now better represent the wider population of the country — the places they come from and the diverse ethnic, socio-economic and cultural background of all Canadians — because of the independent appointment process. The raison d’être of the Senate remains unchanged. We proudly represent minority voices while acting in the wider public interest.
Currently, 55% of senators are women, compared to 31% of members of Parliament. Canada ranks 59th worldwide in terms of women’s representation in national lower or single houses of parliament. Given that women make up more than 50% of the population of Canada, this is another way that the Senate is representative of the interests of Canadians in Parliament.
There are currently nine vacancies in the Senate. I believe it is imperative that these seats are filled — with the best candidates — to strengthen the Senate’s ability to represent all the provinces and territories.
In my province, we are proudly celebrating the 75th anniversary of Newfoundland and Labrador joining Confederation. On July 1, as we paid solemn respect to our fallen on Memorial Day, we gave thanks that we are the newest province of the great nation of Canada.
Senator Iris G. Petten represents Newfoundland and Labrador in the Senate.
This article appeared in the July 10, 2024 edition of The Hill Times.