The red carpet will be rolled out at the Red Chamber later this month when the Senate hosts the final in-person session of the inaugural Canadian Youth Climate Assembly.

On Sept. 21, 36 Canadians aged 18-25 will be in the Senate to share their ideas with parliamentarians on what they’d like to see the government do to protect the climate. This event is the culmination of four online sessions in which participants—all volunteers—of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and political views learn about, discuss, and deliberate environment and climate policy.

“I have a lot of faith in the genius and dedication of young Canadians,” Independent Senator Mary Coyle told Heard on the Hill by email on Sept. 5. 

“As Senators, one of our main jobs is to listen to and represent the voices and interests of those who may have a harder time being heard,” said Coyle, who co-chairs the 63-member Senators for Climate Solutions caucus group, which is co-hosting this event. 

“A Youth Climate Assembly makes perfect sense at this time when the impacts of climate change are accelerating and becoming more severe, and when we know that young Canadians will be the ones inheriting the responsibility to both adapt to these impacts as well as building that new resilient and sustainable future economy and society that we know is necessary.”

Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné will formally receive their recommendations. 

“Of course, the real work for parliamentarians will come once we receive the recommendations and find ways to act on them,” explained Coyle. “The last thing we want is for the report and recommendations to gather dust on our shelves or virtual dust in our electronic files.”

Coyle invites her parliamentary colleagues from both Houses to stop by the Senate Chamber on Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. to hear directly from the participants.

“I can’t predict the precise outcomes of the Canadian Youth Climate Assembly, but I know for sure that the 36 participants will have a better understanding of climate, Canada’s climate commitments, what the roles of MPs and Senators are, and what the possible solution pathways are.”

Ben Mulroney to begin The West Block hosting duties Sept. 14

Broadcaster Ben Mulroney will be filling in as the host of Global’s weekend political affairs program The West Block.

“Starting this week I will be assuming the role of Global News’ West Block every Sunday on Global across the country. The great Mercedes Stephenson is on mat leave, and so I will be assuming the caretaker role hosting that show,” Mulroney confirmed on his self-titled radio show on Sept. 9.

“It is an honour that I take very seriously.”

The West Block airs Sundays on Global, with Mulroney’s first episode set to air on Sept. 14. 

“A lot of people are going to ask themselves, ‘You’re an opinion guy. What are you doing hosting a news show?’ And that’s fair,” said the eldest son of former Progressive Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney. Ben noted that he—like those in the news industry—shares “a willingness to engage in respectful conversation and a desire to hold people in positions of power to account, so that is what you can expect every week from me on The West Block.”

Mulroney currently hosts The Ben Mulroney Show, a morning talk program on 640 Toronto, and has been broadcasting since the early 2000s with stints as host of eTalk, Canadian Idol, and as a correspondent with Canada AM.

Politicos mourn hockey legend, former Grit cabinet minister Ken Dryden

Former Liberal cabinet minister and retired NHL player Ken Dryden died on Sept. 5 from cancer at the age of 78.

“Ken Dryden was the reason I became a goalie, although I never mastered his ability to lean on his stick let alone keep the puck out of the net,” Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X on Sept. 6, describing Dryden as a “Canadian hockey legend and hall of famer, public servant and inspiration.”

Born in 1947 in Hamilton, Ont., Dryden played professional hockey for the Montreal Canadiens from 1971 to 1979 during their six-Stanley-Cup streak. He was also a trained lawyer and author. Dryden was first elected to the House in 2004 as the Liberal MP for York Centre, Ont. From 2004 to 2006, he served as minister of social development in Paul Martin’s cabinet. He was defeated in the 2011 election by Conservative candidate Mark Adler. 

“His commitment to social justice, not just in theory but in practice, as exemplified by his early work on childcare, defined for many, including me, what constituted leadership through service,” former prime minister Justin Trudeau posted on social media. In a statement, Governor General Mary Simon noted that the Order of Canada officer’s “quiet but powerful empathy, as well as his grace and devotion to serving others, are an inspiration. His contributions will be remembered with great respect.”

Senator Dalphond leaves PSG for familiar ISG territory

Quebec Senator Pierre Dalphond has re-joined the Independent Senators Group.

“After careful consideration and numerous discussions with colleagues, I have decided to rejoin the Independent Senators Group because it best aligns with my priorities as a legislator and my expectations for affiliation,” he said in a Sept. 5 statement.

Until last week, Dalphond had been affiliated with the Progressive Senators Group, which he’d joined in May 2020, serving as its leader from February 2024 until this past May. Prior to that, the former lawyer had been with the ISG for just shy of two years, having joined the group right after he was appointed to the Senate in 2018. 

Dalphond’s addition bring the ISG’s total membership to 46 members, still the largest group in the Senate. It’s followed by the Canadian Senators Group with 20, the PSG with 17, Conservative Party with 13, six non-affiliated Senators, and three vacant seats (one in Manitoba and two in Quebec).

Vassy Kapelos’ talk radio show now on Corus

Award-winning political journalist Vassy Kapelos’ national radio show is now available on the Corus Talk Network, in addition to still being available on the iHeart radio network.

“It’s kind of unique,” Kapelos told HOH by email last week, confirming that her eponymous show isn’t leaving the Bell-owned iHeart network, but that “now Corus will run a special version of the show we compile across all their stations on the weekend.”

The two-hour radio episodes run the gamut of topics, Kapelos told HOH. “We’ve got Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Liberal minister Evan Soloman, and Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner, as well as guests who help me (us) understand Taylor Swift’s massive following, how menopause affects our hormones and how much you need to save for your kids post-grad education.” In addition to her radio show, Kapelos can be found hosting Power Play and Question Period on CTV.

Tory MPs past and present reconnect, solve the world’s problems

Conservative MPs Dean Allison and Michael Chong reunited with some former colleagues in August for the first time since the pandemic ended.

“It has been over three years since we last all got together,” Allison posted on LinkedIn on Aug. 28. “I’m not sure there isn’t much we would not do for each other because of that common bond we shared while serving together,” he wrote next to a photo of himself and Chong with former Tory MPs Larry Miller, Phil McColeman, Monte Solberg, and James Rajotte.

“We talked about the past and what we can do to make our country better today. Trade, U.S. relations, constituency work, events, fundraisers, campaigns, time away from family, these and many more were the topics of discussion,” wrote Allison, noting the group agreed that politics “is not the same as it was when we all started, so we need to continue to dialogue […] It’s ok to agree to disagree. Disagreeing does not mean I hate you!”

cleadlay@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times