Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today welcomed the appointment of the Honourable Raymonde Gagné, Senator for Manitoba since 2016, as the 46th Speaker of the Senate of Canada. She is the third woman to hold this position in the Senate since its creation in 1867.

A long-time member of the Senate Committee on Official Languages, Senator Gagné is also a strong advocate for minority language rights. Prior to her appointment to the Senate, she worked in the field of education for over 35 years, including as President of the Université de Saint-Boniface and as a member of the Council of Presidents of Manitoba Universities, of which she was elected President in 2012.