Speaker of the Senate of Canada facts for kids

The Speaker of the Senate of Canada is a very important person in the Senate of Canada. Think of them as the leader or referee of the Senate. Their job is to make sure everything runs smoothly during meetings. They also represent the Senate at special events.

The current Speaker is Raymonde Gagné. She has been in this role since May 16, 2023.

How the Speaker Is Chosen

The Speaker of the Senate is chosen by the Governor General. This choice is made based on advice from the Prime Minister. It's a bit like how a team captain is chosen, but for the whole Senate!

The Speaker of the Senate is a very high-ranking person in Canada. They are ranked after the King or Queen, the Governor General, and members of the Royal Family. They also come after former Governors General, the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers, and the Chief Justice of Canada. This is called the Canadian Order of Precedence.

A Look at the Speaker's Past

The Speaker's role in the Senate was first based on a similar job in the United Kingdom. This was the Lord Chancellor in the British House of Lords. Back then, the Speaker of the Senate was allowed to join in debates and vote. This was different from the Speaker of the House of Commons, who only votes if there's a tie.

The Senate Speaker was also seen as equal to other senators. Their decisions weren't final unless most senators agreed. Also, the Speaker wouldn't step in unless another senator asked them to. Even today, the Senate can challenge the Speaker's decisions.

However, things have changed since 1991. New rules were made for the Senate. These rules allow the Speaker to step in and help keep order without being asked. This change made the Senate more like the House of Commons. The House of Commons has a Speaker who guides the debates more actively.

Before this role, there was a similar position. It was called the Speaker of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada.

What the Speaker Does

The Speaker of the Senate sits in the main chair in front of the thrones.

The Speaker of the Senate helps keep order during Senate meetings. They make sure everyone follows the rules. In the past, they only acted if a senator asked them to. But now, they can step in whenever needed to keep things running smoothly.

As a high-ranking official, the Speaker often meets important visitors. These include leaders from other countries. This is not just a fancy role. The Speaker truly represents Canada on the world stage. They sometimes travel to other nations for the Government of Canada.

Even though the Speaker leads the Senate, they are still a senator. This means they also represent their home province or territory. Unlike the Speaker in the House of Commons, the Senate Speaker can join in debates. They can also cast a regular vote, not just a tie-breaking one.

The Speaker of the House of Commons also manages the House of Commons' daily operations. But the Senate Speaker does not have this kind of management role. The Senate has a special committee that handles those tasks.

If the Speaker is not there, another senator steps in. This person is called the Speaker pro tempore. They are chosen at the start of each Senate session. If both are away, any senator can take the chair. Their decisions are just as important as the Speaker's.

Senate Speaker's Ceremony

The Speaker of the Senate takes part in a special event called the Senate Speaker's Parade. This happens when a Senate meeting begins. The Black Rod helps with this ceremony.

List of Speakers of the Senate

Here is a list of the people who have served as Speaker of the Senate. You can see when they started and ended their terms. You can also see which political group they were part of.

Key:

     Liberal Party of Canada      Historical Conservative parties (including Liberal-Conservative, Conservative (Historical), Nationalist Conservative, Progressive Conservative)      Conservative Party of Canada      Independent

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Party
			Took office	Left office
1		Joseph-Édouard Cauchon Senator for Stadacona, Quebec (1816–1885)	November 5, 1867	May 16, 1869		Independent Conservative
2		John Ross Senator for Ontario (1818–1871)	May 17, 1869	May 26, 1869		Conservative
(1)		Joseph-Édouard Cauchon Senator for Stadacona, Quebec (1816–1885)	May 27, 1869	June 2, 1872		Independent Conservative
3		Amos Edwin Botsford Senator for New Brunswick (1804–1894)	June 3, 1872	June 5, 1872		Conservative
(1)		Joseph-Édouard Cauchon Senator for Stadacona, Quebec (1816–1885)	June 6, 1872	June 30, 1872		Independent Conservative
4		Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau Senator for Stadacona, Quebec (1820–1890)	February 21, 1873	January 8, 1874		Conservative
5		David Christie Senator for Erie, Ontario (1818–1880)	January 9, 1874	October 16, 1878		Liberal
6		Robert Duncan Wilmot Senator for New Brunswick (1809–1891)	November 7, 1878	February 10, 1880		Conservative
7		David Lewis Macpherson Senator for Saugeen, Ontario (1818–1896)	February 11, 1880	February 15, 1880		Conservative
(3)		Amos Edwin Botsford Senator for New Brunswick (1804–1894)	February 16, 1880	April 18, 1880		Conservative
(7)		David Lewis Macpherson Senator for Saugeen, Ontario (1818–1896)	April 19, 1880	October 16, 1883		Conservative
8		William Miller Senator for Richmond, Nova Scotia (1835–1912)	October 17, 1883	April 3, 1887		Liberal- Conservative
9		Josiah Burr Plumb Senator for Ontario (1816–1888)	April 4, 1887	March 12, 1888		Conservative
10		George William Allan Senator for York, Ontario (1822–1901)	March 17, 1888	April 26, 1891		Conservative
11		Alexandre Lacoste Senator for De Lorimier, Quebec (1842–1923)	April 27, 1891	September 13, 1891		Conservative
12		John Jones Ross Senator for De la Durantaye, Quebec (1831–1901)	September 14, 1891	July 12, 1896		Conservative
13		Charles Alphonse Pantaléon Pelletier Senator for Grandville, Quebec (1837–1911)	July 13, 1896	January 28, 1901		Liberal
14		Lawrence Geoffrey Power Senator for Halifax, Nova Scotia (1841–1921)	January 29, 1901	January 8, 1905		Liberal
15		Raoul Dandurand Senator for De Lorimier, Quebec (1861–1942)	January 9, 1905	January 13, 1909		Liberal
16		James Kirkpatrick Kerr Senator for Toronto, Ontario (1841–1916)	January 14, 1909	October 22, 1911		Liberal
17		Auguste Charles Philippe Robert Landry Senator for Stadacona, Quebec (1846–1919)	October 23, 1911	June 2, 1916		Conservative
18		Joseph Bolduc Senator for Lauzon, Quebec (1847–1924)	June 3, 1916	February 6, 1922		Nationalist Conservative
19		Hewitt Bostock Senator for Kamloops, British Columbia (1864–1930)	February 7, 1922	May 12, 1930		Liberal
20		Arthur Charles Hardy Senator for Leeds, Ontario (1872–1962)	May 13, 1930	September 2, 1930		Liberal
21		Pierre-Édouard Blondin Senator for The Laurentides, Quebec (1874–1943)	September 3, 1930	January 10, 1936		Conservative
22		Walter Edward Foster Senator for Saint John, New Brunswick (1873–1947)	January 11, 1936	May 8, 1940		Liberal
23		Georges Parent Senator for Kennebec, Quebec (1879–1942)	May 9, 1940	December 14, 1942		Liberal
24		Thomas Vien Senator for De Lorimier, Quebec (1881–1972)	January 23, 1943	August 23, 1945		Liberal
25		James Horace King Senator for Kootenay East, British Columbia (1873–1955)	August 24, 1945	August 2, 1949		Liberal
26		Élie Beauregard Senator for Rougemont, Quebec (1884–1954)	August 3, 1949	October 13, 1953		Liberal
27		Wishart McLea Robertson Senator for Shelburne, Nova Scotia (1891–1967)	October 14, 1953	October 3, 1957		Liberal
28		Mark Robert Drouin Senator for La Salle, Quebec (1903–1963)	October 4, 1957	September 23, 1962		Progressive Conservative
29		George Stanley White Senator for Hastings–Frontenac, Ontario (1897–1977)	September 24, 1962	April 26, 1963		Progressive Conservative
30		Maurice Bourget Senator for The Laurentides, Quebec (1907–1979)	April 27, 1963	January 6, 1966		Liberal
31		Sydney John Smith Senator for Kamloops, British Columbia (1892–1976)	January 7, 1966	September 4, 1968		Liberal
32		Jean-Paul Deschatelets Senator for Lauzon, Quebec (1912–1986)	September 5, 1968	December 13, 1972		Liberal
33		Muriel McQueen Fergusson Senator for Frederickton, New Brunswick (1899–1997)	December 14, 1972	September 11, 1974		Liberal
34		Renaude Lapointe Senator for Mille Isles, Quebec (1912–2002)	September 12, 1974	October 4, 1979		Liberal
35		Allister Grosart Senator for Pickering, Ontario (1906–1984)	October 5, 1979	March 3, 1980		Progressive Conservative
36		Jean Marchand Senator for De la Vallière, Quebec (1918–1998)	March 4, 1980	December 15, 1983		Liberal
37		Maurice Riel Senator for Shawinegan, Quebec (1922–2007)	December 16, 1983	November 1, 1984		Liberal
38		Guy Charbonneau Senator for Kennebec, Quebec (1922–1998)	November 2, 1984	December 6, 1993		Progressive Conservative
39		Roméo LeBlanc Senator for Beauséjour, New Brunswick (1927–2009)	December 7, 1993	November 21, 1994		Liberal
40		Gildas Molgat Senator for Saint Rose, Manitoba (1927–2001)	November 22, 1994	January 25, 2001		Liberal
41		Dan Hays Senator for Calgary, Alberta (born 1939)	January 26, 2001	February 7, 2006		Liberal
42		Noël Kinsella Senator for Fredericton–York–Sunbury, New Brunswick (1939–2023)	February 8, 2006	November 26, 2014		Conservative
43		Pierre Claude Nolin Senator for De Salaberry, Quebec (1950–2015)	November 27, 2014	April 23, 2015		Conservative
44		Leo Housakos Senator for Wellington, Quebec (born 1968)	April 24, 2015	December 2, 2015		Conservative
45		George Furey Senator for Newfoundland and Labrador (born 1948)	December 3, 2015	May 12, 2023		Independent
46		Raymonde Gagné Senator for Manitoba (born 1956)	May 16, 2023	Incumbent		Independent

Only a few former Speakers are still alive today. They are Dan Hays, Leo Housakos, and George Furey.

Sadly, some Speakers have passed away while still in office. These include:

• Josiah Burr Plumb, in 1888
• Hewitt Bostock, in 1930
• Georges Parent, in 1942
• Pierre Claude Nolin, in 2015