Photo credit: Canadian Women’s Foundation
Wednesday 20 December 2023
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, appointed the following individuals as independent senators to fill vacancies in the Senate for Ontario:
- Paulette Senior
- Marnie McBean
- Toni Varone
Paulette Senior is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and was previously the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canada. She has devoted her life to breaking down systemic barriers and building up women and girls of diverse backgrounds.
Marnie McBean is a motivational speaker, published author, and one of the most decorated Olympians in Canadian history. An Officer of the Order of Canada, she continues to champion social justice causes and to serve as a role model for young Canadian athletes.
Toni Varone is a businessman and philanthropist. He is the President of the Varone Group and a long-time board member of the Villa Charities Foundation. His life-long civic engagement has been centred on building safe, affordable housing and promoting the social and cultural life of Toronto’s Italian-Canadian community.
More about Paulette Senior
Paulette Senior has devoted her life to breaking down systemic barriers and building up women and girls of diverse backgrounds. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and was previously the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canada.
Ms. Senior is a thought-leader on various women’s issues, including promoting gender equity, addressing gender-based violence, reducing women’s poverty, shrinking the wage gap, and promoting the empowerment of women and girls across Canada. She has led, managed, and operated Toronto-based shelters, employment programs, and housing programs and has sat on the Board of Directors of several equity-focused organizations, including the Women’s College Hospital and the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Oxfam Canada, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, and the Women’s Funding Network. In 2022, she was appointed to serve as a member of the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments.
In recognition of her community service, Ms. Senior has received several awards, including the African Canadian Achievement Award, the AfroGlobal Leadership Award, the Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Trailblazer Award, the Top 25 Women of Influence Award, and most recently, the Skills for Change Impact Changemaker Award.
Ms. Senior holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Urban Studies from York University and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Lethbridge.