Senate of Canada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Senate of CanadaSénat du Canada |
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| 45th Parliament | |
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| Type | |
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Upper house of the Parliament of Canada
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| History | |
| Founded | July 1, 1867 (commencement of the Constitution Act) October 27, 1867 (first senators appointed) |
| Leadership | |
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Raymonde Gagné, Non-affiliated
Since May 16, 2023 |
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Speaker Pro Tempore
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René Cormier, Independent Senators Group
Since June 5, 2025 |
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Representative of the Government
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Pierre Moreau, Non-affiliated
Since July 18, 2025 |
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Senate Opposition Leader
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Leo Housakos, Conservative
Since May 14, 2025 |
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Facilitator of the ISG
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Raymonde Saint-Germain
Since January 1, 2022 |
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Leader of the CSG
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Scott Tannas
Since November 4, 2019 |
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Leader of the PSG
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Pierre Dalphond
Since February 27, 2024 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 105 |
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Political groups
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| Salary | CA$184,800 (annual salary effective April 1, 2025) |
| Elections | |
| Appointment by the King or governor general on advice of the prime minister | |
| Meeting place | |
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| Senate Chamber Senate of Canada Building 2 Rideau Street Ottawa, Ontario Canada |
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The Senate of Canada (French: Sénat du Canada) is like the "upper house" of Canada's Parliament. Think of Parliament as Canada's main law-making body. It has two parts: the Senate and the House of Commons. Together with the King (represented by the governor general), they work to create laws for the country.
The Senate is inspired by the British House of Lords. Its members, called senators, are chosen by the governor general. This happens based on advice from the prime minister. There are 105 senators in total. Most are appointed from four main regions, each with 24 senators: the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, and the Western provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador has six senators, and each of Canada's three territories has one. Senators used to be appointed for life. However, since 1965, they must retire when they turn 75 years old.
Even though the Senate is called the "upper house" and the House of Commons is the "lower house," it doesn't mean the Senate has more power. In fact, the House of Commons is usually the more powerful chamber. The prime minister and the Cabinet (a group of top government advisors) are mainly responsible to the House of Commons. They stay in power only as long as they have the support of that house.
For a new law to be created, both the Senate and the House of Commons must approve it. This means the Senate can say no to bills that the House of Commons has passed. However, this doesn't happen very often. Most government bills start in the House of Commons. The Senate's job is to take a "sober second thought" on these bills. This means they carefully review and improve proposed laws. Canada's first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, used this phrase to describe the Senate's important role.
Sometimes, the Senate has rejected bills from the House of Commons. For example, it rejected the Naval Aid Bill in 1912. It also refused to allow a vote on a bill related to the 1988 Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement. This led to a federal election that year.
Contents
How the Senate Started
The Senate began in 1867. This was when the British North America Act 1867 (now called the Constitution Act, 1867) was passed. This act brought together the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick to form Canada. Canada's Parliament was set up like the Westminster system in the United Kingdom.
Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, wanted the Senate to be a place for "sober second thought." He believed it would help control the decisions of the elected House of Commons. He also wanted it to make sure all regions of Canada were represented. He thought the Senate should review laws, not block the will of the House of Commons. That's why senators are appointed, not elected. An elected Senate might become too powerful.
In 2008, the Canadian Heraldic Authority gave the Senate its own coat of arms. This symbol includes the chamber's mace, which represents the King's authority.
Changes and Reforms
People have been talking about changing the Senate since at least 1874. But big changes didn't happen until 2016. That's when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments.
In 1927, a group of Canadian women known as The Famous Five asked the Supreme Court if women could become senators. The court first said no. But when they appealed to a higher court in Britain, it was decided that women were indeed "qualified persons." Four months later, Cairine Wilson became the first woman appointed to the Senate.
In 1965, the first major change to the Senate happened. A rule was made that senators must retire at age 75. Before this, they served for life.
Since the 1970s, there have been many ideas for changing the Senate in the Constitution. However, none of these ideas, like the 1987 Meech Lake Accord or the 1992 Charlottetown Accord, were successful.
Starting in the 1980s, some people suggested that senators should be elected. After a government program called the National Energy Program, people in Western Canada wanted a "Triple-E" Senate. This meant it would be elected, have equal representation for each province, and be effective. In 1982, the Senate gained a special power to veto some changes to the Constitution. Alberta even started holding elections for "senators-in-waiting" in 1987. However, the prime minister doesn't have to choose these elected nominees.
In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that major changes to the Senate, like electing senators, would require a constitutional amendment. This amendment would need approval from at least seven provinces, representing at least half of Canada's population.
New Way to Appoint Senators
In 2014, then-Liberal leader Justin Trudeau removed all senators from the Liberal party group. When he became prime minister in 2015, he started a new way to appoint senators. This was an effort to make the Senate less political without changing the Constitution.
The Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments was created in 2016. This board includes members from different parts of Canada. They create a list of recommended candidates for the prime minister. The prime minister then chooses from this list, but doesn't have to pick only from it. The board stopped accepting applications in April 2025.
Since this new process began in 2016, 100 new senators have been appointed. All Canadians can now apply directly to become a senator or suggest someone they think would be a good fit.
The Senate Chamber and Offices
The original Senate chamber was destroyed in a fire in 1916. After that, senators met in a museum for a while. In 1922, they moved to Parliament Hill. Currently, the main Parliament building is being renovated. So, the Senate has been meeting in a temporary chamber in the Senate of Canada Building since 2019.
Inside the chamber, there are chairs and desks on both sides, with an aisle in the middle. Above the chamber, there's a public gallery where visitors can watch. At one end is the Speaker's platform, which includes two special royal thrones built in 2017. Many senators also have offices in the Victoria Building in Ottawa.
Who Can Be a Senator?
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Senators are chosen by the governor general, based on the prime minister's recommendation. In the past, prime ministers usually picked people from their own political party.
To become a senator, a person must be a Canadian citizen, be between 30 and 75 years old, and live in the province or territory they represent. Senators must also own property worth at least $4,000 more than their debts. This rule was made a long time ago to ensure senators were financially stable. As mentioned, senators must retire at 75.
A senator can lose their position if they:
- miss two Senate sessions in a row;
- become a citizen of another country;
- declare bankruptcy;
- are found guilty of a serious crime; or
- no longer meet the property or residency rules (unless they are in Ottawa for government work).
Representing Canada's Regions
Each province and territory has a specific number of Senate seats. Canada is divided into four main regions for Senate representation, with 24 senators each: Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.
- The Western region includes British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, each with six senators.
- The Maritimes region includes New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, each with ten senators, and Prince Edward Island, with four senators.
- Newfoundland and Labrador has six senators.
- The Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut each have one senator.
Quebec senators are unique because they are assigned to specific districts within their province. This helps ensure that both French and English speakers from Quebec are properly represented.
Unlike the House of Commons, the Senate doesn't primarily base its representation on population size. This is because the House of Commons already does that. Instead, the Senate aims to balance regional interests and provide that "sober second thought." This means some less populated provinces have more senators than their population might suggest, while very populated provinces like Ontario have fewer senators per person.
Senators must own property and live in the province or territory they represent. In the past, this residency rule was sometimes interpreted broadly. However, there has been more focus on verifying that senators truly live where they claim.
| Province or territory | Senators | Total population (2021) |
% of senators | % of population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ontario |
24 | 14,223,942 | 22.9% | 38.5% |
 Quebec |
24 | 8,501,833 | 22.9% | 23.0% |
 British Columbia |
6 | 5,000,879 | 5.7% | 13.5% |
 Alberta |
6 | 4,262,635 | 5.7% | 11.5% |
 Manitoba |
6 | 1,342,153 | 5.7% | 3.6% |
 Saskatchewan |
6 | 1,132,505 | 5.7% | 3.1% |
 Nova Scotia |
10 | 969,383 | 9.5% | 2.6% |
 New Brunswick |
10 | 775,610 | 9.5% | 2.1% |
 Prince Edward Island |
4 | 154,331 | 3.8% | 0.4% |
 Newfoundland and Labrador |
6 | 510,550 | 5.7% | 1.4% |
 Northwest Territories |
1 | 41,070 | 0.9% | 0.1% |
 Yukon |
1 | 40,232 | 0.9% | 0.1% |
 Nunavut |
1 | 36,858 | 0.9% | 0.1% |
Total/average,  Canada |
105 | 36,991,981 | 100% | 100% |
Since 1989, voters in Alberta have elected "senators-in-waiting." These are people nominated for Senate seats. However, the prime minister is not required to appoint them. Five such nominees have been appointed to the Senate over the years. None of the senators-in-waiting elected in 2021 have been appointed to the Senate.
The annual salary for a senator is $184,800, a rate set in April 2025. Some senators who hold other special roles, like the Speaker, receive additional pay.
Adding More Senators
The Constitution allows for the appointment of four or eight extra senators in special situations. These extra senators must be divided equally among the four main regions. The King approves this on the prime minister's advice.
This power has only been used once. In 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney asked for eight extra senators. This helped pass a bill creating the goods and services tax (GST). These extra appointments gave his party a small majority in the Senate.
When extra senators are appointed, the total number of seats doesn't permanently increase. Instead, when senators leave office, they are not replaced until their region returns to its normal 24 seats.
Current Senate Groups
Senators are organized into different groups. Some are part of recognized parliamentary groups, while others are called "non-affiliated" if they don't belong to any group. Most groups in the Senate don't follow strict party rules. However, the Conservative group is still linked to the federal Conservative Party.
| Group | Senators | |
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| Independent Senators Group | 42 | |
| Canadian Senators Group | 19 | |
| Progressive Senate Group | 16 | |
| Conservative | 13 | |
| Non-affiliated | 8 | |
| Vacant | 7 | |
| Total | 105 | |
For most of the Senate's history, senators belonged to the same political parties that ran in elections. But this has changed a lot recently. Since 2015, most new senators have not been affiliated with a political party. As of October 17, 2017, the largest group in the Senate became one made up of senators who don't belong to a political party. By 2021, only about 20% of senators were part of a political party, all from the Conservative group.
Women in the Senate
More than half of the current senators are women. As of April 28, 2025, there were 57 women out of 104 sitting members (54.8%).
Historically, the Senate has often had more women representatives than the House of Commons. The number of women senators equaled men for the first time on November 11, 2020. It surpassed men for the first time on October 2, 2022.
Filling Vacant Seats
There has been some discussion about whether the prime minister is required to appoint new senators when seats become empty. In 2013, during a period of public concern about Senate expenses, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stopped recommending new appointments. This caused the number of senators to slowly decrease.
Some legal experts debated whether a prime minister could refuse to fill vacancies. They wondered if too many empty seats would prevent the Senate from doing its job. In 2015, Prime Minister Harper stated he would not advise filling the 22 vacant seats. He preferred that provinces come up with a plan for reform or consider getting rid of the Senate entirely.
However, in December 2015, the new Trudeau government started a new process for appointments based on merit. Appointments began again on April 12, 2016. The number of vacant seats had reached a high of 24. By December 2018, after many new appointments, the Senate had a full number of senators for the first time in over eight years.
Senate Leaders and Staff
The Speaker of the Senate is the person who leads the Senate meetings. The governor general appoints the Speaker on the prime minister's advice. The Speaker has an assistant called the Speaker pro tempore (which means 'for the time being'). This assistant is elected by the Senate at the start of each new parliamentary session. If the Speaker is absent, the Speaker pro tempore takes over. Muriel McQueen Fergusson was the first female Speaker of the Parliament of Canada, serving from 1972 to 1974.
The Speaker guides debates and calls on senators to speak. If a rule is broken, a senator can raise a "point of order," and the Speaker makes a decision. However, the Senate can vote to overturn the Speaker's decision. Unlike the Speaker in the House of Commons, the Senate Speaker can still vote on issues, just like any other senator. As of the 44th Parliament, Senator Raymonde Gagné is the Speaker of the Senate.
The senator who helps guide government laws through the Senate is called the representative of the Government in the Senate. This person is chosen by the prime minister. The main opposition party in the Senate also has a leader, called the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
Other important staff members who are not senators include the clerk, the deputy clerk, and the law clerk. They advise the Speaker and senators on rules and procedures. Another important officer is the Usher of the Black Rod. This person helps maintain order and security in the Senate chamber. They carry a special black staff, which is where their title comes from.
Senate Committees
Canada's Parliament uses committees to do a lot of its work. Committees look at bills in detail and can suggest changes. Other committees examine how different government departments are working.
The largest Senate committee is the Committee of the Whole. As its name suggests, all senators are part of it. This committee meets in the Senate chamber but follows slightly different rules for debate. For example, senators can speak more often on a topic. The person leading this committee is called the chairman. The Committee of the Whole can consider new laws or hear from people who have important information. For instance, people nominated for important government jobs often appear before this committee to answer questions.
The Senate also has several standing committees. Each one focuses on a specific area of government, like finance or transportation. These committees review laws and conduct special studies. They can hold meetings, gather information, and report their findings back to the Senate. Standing committees usually have between nine and fifteen members and choose their own chairmen.
| Senate standing committees |
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Special committees are created for a specific purpose and then dissolved once their work is done. They might study a particular bill or an important issue.
Joint committees include members from both the House of Commons and the Senate. Currently, there are two joint committees. One reviews government rules, and the other advises on managing the Library of Parliament.
How the Senate Makes Laws
While new laws can start in either the Senate or the House of Commons, most bills begin in the House of Commons. Sometimes, if a law is very complicated, the government might introduce it in the Senate first. This is because the Senate often has a more flexible schedule for debates.
The Senate is not allowed to create bills that involve new taxes or spending public money. This rule is clearly stated in the Constitution Act, 1867. Also, the House of Commons can eventually override the Senate's refusal to approve a change to the Canadian Constitution. However, they must wait at least 180 days before doing so. Other than these two exceptions, both houses theoretically have equal power. Both must approve a bill for it to become law. But in practice, the House of Commons is usually more powerful. The Senate rarely opposes the will of the elected House of Commons.
The Senate tends to be less focused on political parties and arguments than the House of Commons. Senators often work together to find common ground. They also have more time to study proposed laws in detail, either as a whole group or in committees. This careful review is why the Senate is still called the chamber of "sober second thought." It allows the Senate to make many small improvements to laws before they are finalized.
Sometimes, the Senate is more active in reviewing, changing, or even rejecting laws. For example, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Senate opposed important laws. These included the 1988 free trade bill with the US and the Goods and Services Tax. In the 1990s, the Senate rejected several bills, including one to streamline federal agencies and another to redevelop the Lester B. Pearson Airport. From 2000 to 2013, the Senate rejected 75 bills in total.
In December 2010, the Senate rejected Bill C-311. This bill aimed to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Although the House of Commons passed it, the Senate, with a majority of Conservatives, voted against it.
Divorce and Other Private Bills
Before 1968, some provinces like Quebec and Newfoundland didn't have their own divorce laws. The only way for couples in these provinces to get a divorce was to ask Parliament for a special "private bill" of divorce. The Senate usually handled these requests. A special committee would investigate, and if the request was valid, Parliament would dissolve the marriage. This process is no longer used since the Divorce Act made divorce laws consistent across Canada.
However, private bills can still be introduced in the Senate, but they are rare. These bills are for specific individuals or groups, not for the general public.
Investigating Important Issues
The Senate also investigates important issues. In the 1960s, the Senate wrote the first Canadian reports on how media companies were owned and controlled. This led to the creation of press councils. More recently, the Senate has investigated topics like health care and the Canadian news media.
Working with the Government
Unlike the House of Commons, the Senate does not have the power to remove a prime minister or government from office. Only the House of Commons can do that, by voting against the government or refusing to approve its spending plans. This means the Senate's ability to oversee the government is limited.
However, the Senate does approve the appointment of some important government officials. It also approves the removal of certain officials, sometimes along with the House of Commons. For example, the Senate must agree to remove the chief electoral officer of Canada.
Most Cabinet ministers are members of the House of Commons. Since 1896, every prime minister has been a member of the House of Commons, except for a few short periods. Usually, the Cabinet includes only one senator: the leader of the Government in the Senate. Sometimes, if the ruling party doesn't have elected members from a certain region, a senator from that region might be appointed to the Cabinet. For example, in 2006, Stephen Harper appointed Michael Fortier as a senator for Montreal and also as a Cabinet minister.
Televising Senate Meetings
For a long time, the Senate did not allow its meetings to be shown on television. However, this changed. Full broadcasts of Senate proceedings began on March 18, 2019. This happened when the Senate moved to its temporary location in the Senate of Canada Building.
See also
In Spanish: Senado de Canadá para niños
- Canadian Senate divisions
- Canadian Senate Page Program
- Joint address
- List of current senators of Canada
- List of Senate of Canada appointments by prime minister
- List of women appointed to the Canadian Senate
- Lists of members of the Senate of Canada
- Procedural officers and senior officials of the Parliament of Canada
