Backgrounder

LIST OF NEW SENATORS

Claude Carignan (Quebec) was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1988 and, as a lawyer,
he specialized in labour and public law. He was a law teacher at the Université du
Québec à Montréal and at the Université de Montréal. Mr. Carignan has always been
actively involved in his community. He has been Mayor of Saint-Eustache since
November 2000 and held other positions at the regional and national levels. He is a
member of the Board of the Union des municipalités du Québec and has been Vice-
President of the Union since May 2008. During his career at the municipal level, he
organized many fundraising campaigns and created the Fondation Élite Saint-Eustache,
which helps the young people of the region. Claude Carignan is married to Brigitte
Binette. They have three children.

Jacques Demers (Quebec) is the former head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, taking
the team to a Stanley Cup victory in 1993. In addition to the Canadiens, Mr. Demers
was head coach of numerous other hockey franchises including the former Quebec
Nordiques during the 1978-80 hockey seasons. Mr. Demers is a well respected figure in
the hockey world, winning the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year in 1987 and
1988, the only person to do so in consecutive years. In 2007, he was named one of the
100 most influential personalities in hockey by The Hockey News magazine. Mr.
Demers is active in the community, including his strong support for literacy. In 2006, he
served as Honorary President of fundraising campaign of the Fondation de
l’alphabétisation, and made numerous presentations on the subject throughout Quebec.
He also supports other causes including la Fondation québécoise pour les enfants
malades du cœur. He is married to Deborah Anderson. Mr. Demers currently works as
a commentator for the sports network RDS.

Doug Finley (Ontario) has had a successful career in various industries including
aviation, agriculture and energy. Mr. Finley began his professional career at Rolls Royce
Canada, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become Director of Production,
Strategic Planning and New Business Development. He moved on to serve as
President of Standard Aero and Senior Vice President of AvCorp Industries. Later in his
career he worked as General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Fermlea Flowers
in Southwestern Ontario. Mr. Finley also maintained an active presence in Canadian
politics, including his service as Director of Political Operations for the Conservative
Party of Canada. In the 2006 and 2008 general elections Mr. Finley served as National
Campaign Director. Born in the United Kingdom, Mr. Finley and his wife Diane reside in
Simcoe, Ontario.
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Linda Frum Sokolowski (Ontario) is a Canadian journalist and bestselling author.
From 1998 to 2007 she worked as a feature columnist for the National Post newspaper.
She is also a past contributing editor to Maclean’s Magazine. Ms. Frum Sokolowski is
an active member of the Toronto community. A current board member of Upper Canada
College, the Bishop Strachan School, the Canadian Club and Canada’s Walk of Fame,
she is also a past board member of the Ontario Arts Council, Soulpepper Theatre, the
Art Gallery of Ontario Foundation and the Canada-Israel Committee. In 2006 she was
chair of the United Jewish Appeal’s annual Women’s Campaign. Ms. Frum Sokolowski
and her husband, Howard Sokolowski, have three children. Together with her husband
she is a past recipient of The Human Relations Award from the Canadian Council of
Christians and Jews.

Kelvin K. Ogilvie (Nova Scotia) is past president of Acadia University in Wolfville. An

award-winning international expert in biotechnology, bioorganic chemistry and genetic
engineering, Dr. Ogilvie’s scientific accomplishments include the development of the
“Gene Machine,” an automated process for the manufacture of DNA, and the invention
of the drug Ganciclovir, which is used worldwide to fight infections that occur when one’s
immune system is weakened. During his ten years of service as President and Vice
Chancellor at Acadia, Dr. Ogilvie proved to be an equally innovative administrator,
introducing the groundbreaking “Acadia Advantage” program that has been
internationally recognized. Dr. Ogilvie has served on numerous national and
international organizations including the National Biotechnology Advisory Committee and
the National Advisory Board for Science and Technology. He recently completed a
three-year term as chair of the Nova Scotia Premier’s Council for Innovation and
currently serves as Senior Fellow for Postsecondary Education at the Atlantic Institute
for Market Studies. Dr. Ogilvie is a member of the Board of Genome Canada and chairs
both the Advisory Board of National Research Council’s Institute of Marine Bioscience
and the Advisory Board of the Atlantic Innovation Fund. For his numerous contributions
to science, technology and higher education in Canada, Dr. Ogilvie was named to the
Order of Canada in 1991. Dr. Ogilvie is married and has two children and three
grandchildren.

Dennis Patterson (Nunavut) is a former Premier of the Northwest Territories who has
dedicated his career to bettering the lives of people throughout Canada’s North. In his
distinguished 16-year career as a member of the Legislative Assembly in the Northwest
Territories Mr. Patterson served in many capacities including Minister of Education,
Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister of Justice, culminating in his service
as Premier between 1987 and 1991. During his time in public office Mr. Patterson
played a key role in the settlement of the Inuvialuit final agreement and the Nunavut final
land claim agreement. Mr. Patterson also served as the leader of the more than twenty-
year campaign which led to the establishment of Nunavut as Canada’s newest territory
in 1999. Prior to entering politics, Mr. Patterson practised law and was appointed
founding Executive Director of the Legal Services Centre, Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik
Society, in Iqaluit. After serving as Premier, Mr. Patterson established a private
consulting firm, was admitted to the Law Society of Nunavut in 2001 and since 2003 has
been a Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee of the Northern Property Real
Estate Investment Trust. Mr. Patterson is married and has four children and two
grandchildren.

Don Plett (Manitoba) has dedicated much of his life to community service in his home
province of Manitoba. As a Red River College alumnus, Mr. Plett served on the Board of
Governors of the College. An active sports enthusiast, he has coached and played
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hockey, basketball, and golf and was President of the Landmark Minor Hockey
Association. Mr. Plett also served as President of the Chamber of Commerce, Chair of
the Village Council, and Chair of the local Utilities Board. Throughout the years, he has
maintained an active interest in politics, including serving as President of the
Conservative Party of Canada. Mr. Plett and his wife Betty have four sons and six
grandchildren.

Judith Seidman (Quebec) is an educator, researcher and advisor to universities,

government and not-for-profit agencies in the fields of health and social services.
Trained as an epidemiologist and social worker, Ms. Seidman has been a consultant in
Applied Research in the Health Field and was Senior Researcher at the University
Institute of Social Gerontology of Quebec. Ms. Seidman served as project coordinator
for the Canadian Study of Health and Aging at the University of Ottawa and was
Research Associate/Fellow at the Montreal Neurological Hospital/Institute’s Department
of Social Work. Ms. Seidman has also been active in community service, including as a
member of the Board of Directors of the Allan Memorial Institute Advancement Fund,
member of the McGill Society of Montreal, Chair of the 75th Anniversary Fundraising
Committee for the McGill School of Social Work and co-Chair of the Whiteside Taylor
Preschool Co-operative in Baie D’Urfe. Ms. Seidman is married and has one daughter
and one grandchild.

Carolyn Stewart Olsen (New Brunswick) has extensive experience in health care and
politics. A Registered Nurse, Ms. Stewart Olsen spent over a decade as an emergency
staff nurse at hospitals throughout New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec. In 1986, Ms.
Stewart Olsen was named Head Nurse for the Ambulatory Care Department at Ottawa’s
Grace Hospital and later Nursing Manager for the Emergency, Recovery Room,
Ambulatory Care, and CSR departments at Carleton Place Hospital. After a twenty-year
career in nursing, Ms. Stewart Olsen turned her attention to political life where she
served as communications assistant and Press Secretary to the Leader of the
Opposition. Most recently, she served as Senior Advisor and Director of Strategic
Communication in the Office of the Prime Minister. Ms. Stewart Olsen is married to Terry
Olsen.