Sports taught me so much about leadership, about community, about values, also, so important. If I look back, most important role I had in sports, yes, coaching my children was important, but that led to my presidency of the “club de soccer élite Montréal Concordia” where we founded the triple A, the elite soccer in Montreal, the first elite soccer team in Montreal, women’s elite soccer team in Montreal. And we traveled the country with our provincial championships. We have numerous national trophies and titles. And what it taught me was hard work, hard work and values. And leadership is not about yourself. It’s not about the individual. It’s about the team. It’s about hard work. And when we come to the crucial moments, we had to stay calm. We had to stay cool. There’s a small difference between the great teams, a very small difference and a smaller difference between who wins the championship and he who finishes second. And the difference at times is that one extra lap, that one extra push up. So hard work, hard work, listening, collaboration and leadership. Never about yourself, about everybody else, never about the individual, about the team.

What motto do I live by? Hard work. I’ve always said that integrity is never negotiable. You have to work hard. You have to earn everything you get in life. And, that’s the motto I live by. I think hard work always beats talent. it’s never about yourself. It’s about everybody else because, you realize with the years that, what matters most is what will define you. And I’d like to be defined by integrity, hard work, values. I remember my years in the financial industry. Philanthropy was so important. Why was it important? We had to tell our story. And our story wasn’t because we had more talented bankers or we had more talented people. It was because we did more research, we listened more, we worked harder. But it was also about, we support great causes. We support great people. We support people in time of need. And you want that to be your story. You want that to define you. It’s not about yourself, it’s about everybody else. And like the MBA that you learn when you listen to great leaders like Steve Jobs, he says it, he says Apple, where it’s not about bits and bytes, it’s about, we believe that those who want to change the world could change the world. Nike, it’s not about we’re more comfortable of a shoe, it’s, we honor great athletes and the Senate is about we give great service to Canadians, we’re a sober second thought, we dive into topics of national interest. We dive into legislation, improve life for Canadians, and we do great work at the Senate of Canada. Hard work.

Throughout my Senate career, there’s so many experiences that stand out, but the swearing-in ceremony is something you never forget. Every senator never forgets that ceremony. My family in the gallery, all my friends looking on, you never forget that. But if I were to choose one moment, besides that swearing-in ceremony. One moment, one, true moment that really stood out, that will be with me forever, it’s when King Charles III came to the Senate of Canada. And he pronounced the words Canada, the True North, strong and free. And I still get shivers down my spine when I think of that moment. That was truly the defining moment and a defining moment for the Senate of Canada to have the King there in our Senate. I had to pinch myself a few times to just look at the King and, the Prime Minister and say, wow, Tony Loffreda is in the same room as them. I still can’t believe it.

I don’t know if I have any hidden talents and by the age of 64, almost 64, I wish or I hope that all my talents have been shown. But if I do have one that maybe people don’t know of. I was a good hockey player. I remember in my childhood I wanted to play for the NHL. I wanted to play for the Montreal Canadiens. And imagine, we only had six teams until 1967, I believe. Imagine how good you had to be. And I thought, hey, the dream, the dream was always there, still there. There’s a saying, right? The dream never dies. Just the dreamer. And by the age of 16, I wasn’t drafted. Not in the juniors. Not in junior A, B, nor C. I quit playing hockey. But I remember my last year we had won the regional championships and almost went to the greatest honours. Anyway. That story is too long. But we had a great team and one of the team captains of the House league he was playing in, 20 years later calls me. He says you’ve been away for too long. You’ve got to come back. You know, 20 years later, 20 pounds plus later. How did you draft me first? And he says it’s because you’re lucky and we need good luck. We’re going to win the championship. And I remember the last game in the finals rushing to get to the game from work, rushing. And I get into the room and he was so upset. He says, I thought that by now you would take this seriously. We need you to give this speech before we get on the ice. And I got dressed. I gave the speech. Yes, I hadn’t lost the 20 pounds yet, but we won the game. He was the most valuable, valuable player. I gave the most valuable speech, though. We won that game. So great memories. I thought I was talented, I guess nobody else did. I wasn’t drafted.

The most treasured item in my office is the family pictures that I have. And, you know, I’ve been a workaholic, all my life. And my parents taught me at a young age, you know, how hard work was essential to survival. I’m the first born of an immigrant family. My mom was seven — six or seven — months pregnant with me when she landed with a suitcase, nothing more. And, hard work was was what we needed to survive. So at 12, 13, we were working part time jobs to help the family, and, and that just stayed with me, stayed with me forever, and, and, like I said, hard work always beats talent. And you had to do it because I’ve spoken so much about values. The values leads to credibility, leads to trust. Trust is the currency of every relationship. And an immigrant family, people have to trust you to hire you. People had to trust and believe in you, to give you, to give you those opportunities which I’ve been so blessed to receive during my life. That’s why the family pictures are the most valuable pictures in my office. It’s because, despite the hard work, I’ve been, I’m still married over 40 years and, married to the prettiest girl in my high school, if I can add. And, what she saw is what she got. I was a hard worker in high school too. I was always a hard worker. And, from my accounting days to my banking days, I always felt I had something to prove. But it’s not about proving something. It’s at this point, it’s about, I have a lot to give. I’ve learned so much during the course of my career. I’m so grateful. And I have so much to give back to Canada, to Canadians. So it’s not about proving anything anymore of the hard work. It’s about, how can I make life better for every Canadian? When you work hard, it’s life is about purpose. And, my family’s still there, despite all the time and effort I’ve put in, to try to be the best I can be, and to work as hard as I can and to beat those that are much more talented than I am.