Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Friday the appointments of five new senators whom he called “remarkable Canadians who have distinguished themselves in their respective pursuits.”
The new appointees are:Denise Batters from Saskatchewan,Lynn Beyak and Victor Oh from Ontario, Doug Black from Alberta, and David Wells from Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Conservatives now hold 65 of the 105 Senate seats. The rest include 36 Liberals, one Progressive Conservative, two independents and one vacancy.
"I look forward to working with these talented individuals in parliament,” Harper said in a statement. “Their collective experience and dedication are most welcome as our Government continues to work on addressing the needs and expectations of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”
Black, a well-known lawyer from Calgary, was selected by the people of Alberta in a Senate consultation process last spring.
Batters is a lawyer and a senior figure in the province's Crown Investments Corp. She also became a mental health advocate after the suicide of her husband, MP Dave Batters.
Beyak is a realtor from northwestern Ontario who has worked on improving education equality and preventing violence in school.
Oh is a property developer who was born in China and has devoted himself to helping newcomers start their own businesses.
Wells is an executive who was most recently the deputy CEO of the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board and is experienced in government and regulatory affairs.
