Canada's Senate gets three new members

Three new senators, including a high-profile labour leader, have been named to the upper chamber on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Bernadette Clement, James Quinn, and Hassan Yussuff have dedicated their careers - as public servants and community leaders - to serving others. Today, they have been appointed to the Senate, where I know they’ll continue to make a difference. More here: https://t.co/77ExEkiYfL

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 22, 2021

Hassan Yussuff, who just stepped down from a seven-year term at the helm of the Canadian Labour Congress, will fill a seat in Ontario after a year in which he was in the spotlight advocating for emergency aid to workers.

Also being appointed today is Jim Quinn, chief executive of the Saint John Port Authority, having steered the organization through the pandemic as ship traffic and revenues dropped. Quinn will fill a seat in New Brunswick.

A second seat in Ontario will be filled by Bernadette Clement, the current mayor of Cornwall, Ont., and the first Black woman to hold a mayoralty in the province.

She is also a former federal Liberal candidate, having run unsuccessfully in the 2011 and 2015 elections in the riding of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry.

The Prime Minister's Office says all will all sit as Independent senators.

The Trudeau Liberals have used an advisory board to review potential senators and make merit-based recommendations for the prime minister to review.

In a statement, Trudeau says he looks forward to working with the three new senators who have dedicated their careers to public service.