Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced the appointments of Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard (MSW’77), Kim Pate (LLB’84), and Dan Christmas (LLD’05) to the Canadian Senate.

Dr. Thomas Bernard is recognized as the first person of African Canadian descent to hold a tenure-track position at Dalhousie, and to be promoted to full professor. She is a former director of the School of Social Work, a founding member of the Association of Black Social Workers (ABSW) and current chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

Kim Pate is a lifetime advocate for the rights of Aboriginal women in prisons, and prisoners with mental health issues. She is widely recognized for improving the treatment of incarcerated women in Canada, and for providing support during the reintegration of former prisoners into society.

Dan Christmas received an honourary Dalhousie doctorate in 2005. He is a former director of advisory services for the Union of Nova Scotia Indians, and is known for drastically improving life for citizens of the Membertou community.

Read more on Dal News, in “Membertou senior adviser Dan Christmas named…” and “Justin Trudeau names top cop, prisoners’ advocate as new senators.”

Images: Dal News (Wanda Thomas Bernard), Jessica Deeks (Kim Pate), George Mortimer/CBC (Dan Christmas).