Quebec businesswoman, author appointed to the Senate

Daniele Henkel, right, arrives at the Gala Gemeaux awards ceremony in Montreal, Sunday, September 18, 2016. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the appointment of a new independent senator to fill one of the Senate’s few remaining vacancies.

The Prime Minister’s Office says in a news release that the Governor General has appointed Danièle Henkel as an independent senator to fill a Senate vacancy for Quebec.

Henkel is a businesswoman, strategic adviser, mentor, coach, speaker and author who immigrated to Quebec in the 1990s, her website says.

There were 22 vacancies in the Senate when Trudeau became prime minister in 2015 and launched what his government called a “new, non-partisan, merit-based process” to advise on appointments.

There have been 94 independent appointments to the Senate made on the advice of Trudeau, with a dozen made in 2024 and three made last week.

The Senate of Canada website indicates that six vacancies remain.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press