Former Moncton mayor and N.S. MLA appointed to the Senate

Dawn Arnold and Tony Ince from the Maritimes have been appointed to the Senate.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced two Maritimers were among five people appointed to the Senate Friday.

Dawn Arnold, the former mayor of Moncton, N.B., and Tony Ince, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, were both appointed as independent senators by the Governor General, according to a news release from the prime minister.

Arnold, who was the first woman to serve as mayor of Moncton, was also previously councillor-at-large for the city. She has more than 30 years of experience in municipal government, community development and publishing.

“It is an immense honour to be appointed to the Senate of Canada and I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to serve Canadians at a national level,” said Arnold in a news release from the City of Moncton. “This is not goodbye – this is simply a new chapter in my service to this wonderful community and to Canada. I would like to thank the people of Moncton for their trust, their energy, and their passion for this city. It has been a privilege to serve as your Mayor.”

Deputy Mayor Paulette Thériault will now assume the role of acting mayor due to Arnold’s appointment.

Ince was an MLA for 11 years. He is an advocate for social justice, equity and diversity, and has served as co-founder and co-chair of the Canadian Congress of Black Parliamentarians.

Katherine Hay, Farah Mohamed and Sandra Pupatello, all from Ontario, were also appointed Friday.

According to the prime minister, the senators were chosen “using a merit-based process open to all Canadians” and were recommended by the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments.

All 105 Senate seats are now filled.