June 20, 2000
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced today that Her Excellency the Governor General has agreed to summon Betty Kennedy of Ontario and Raymond Setlakwe of Quebec to the Senate.

The appointment of Ms. Kennedy brings to 25 the number of women that the Prime Minister has named to the Senate since 1993 - the most to be appointed by any Prime Minister in Canadian history. The number of women in the Senate has risen from 16 at the time the government took office to 34 as of this appointment.

The appointments are effective immediately.

Biographies are attached.

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PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555

Betty Kennedy is well -known to Canadians for her distinguished achievements as a broadcaster, journalist and author.

From 1962-95, Ms Kennedy was a panelist on the award-winning Front Page Challenge - the longest running public affairs and current events program in Canadian television history. From 1959-86, she was Public Affairs Editor with Toronto radio station CFRB. In 1971-72, she was Executive Producer and Host of two 20-episode series on the TV Ontario program Insight. In 1983, she was elected to the Canadian News Hall of Fame. And in 1992, she was elected to the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Ms. Kennedy has also authored two books: Gerhard (1975), and Hurricane Hazel (1979).

In addition to her personal accomplishments, Ms. Kennedy has also given freely of her time to many charitable and voluntary organizations. In 1983-84, she was Honourary National Chair of the Canadian Cancer Society. From 1996-98, she was the Honourary Chair of the Annual Fundraising Luncheon of the Canadian Save the Children Foundation. In 1997, she was invested as a Serving Sister of the of the Order of St. John, and in 1998-99 she was Ambassador for the St. John Ambulance Millennium celebrations. She was the first non-medical member of the Complaints Committee of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons, and a member of the College’s 1990 Task Force on the Relationship Between Physicians and the Pharmaceutical Industry.

In 1982, Ms. Kennedy was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Ms. Kennedy and her husband, Allan Burton, live in Milton, Ontario. She has raised four children and is 74 years of age

Raymond Setlakwe is a well-known entrepreneur and lawyer.

Mr. Setlakwe earned a Bachelor of Arts from Bishops University and an L.L.L from Laval University. He also studied Law at McGill University.

Mr. Setlakwe is President and CEO of A. Setlakwe Ltd., a retail chain with 17 stores and boutiques throughout Quebec. He is also President and CEO of Saint-Hilaire Inc., an importer of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear fashions. He has been a Director of Sintra since 1964. He has also been a Director of Unindal and, from 1993-95, he was a Director of Hydro Quebec. Until recently he was a Director of the Retail Council of Quebec as well as the Export Development Corporation.

Mr. Setlakwe is Honourary Chair of the fundraising campaign of the CÉGEP de Thetford Mines. He is a member of Thetford Mines Hospital Foundation; the Bishop’s University Foundation; and, has taken part in fundraising campaigns for Laval University Foundation. Since 1986, he has been a Director of the Research Fund of the Montreal Heart Institute. From 1976-78, he was a member of the Sherbrooke University Corporation; from 1975-85, a member of the Bishop’s University Corporation.

Mr. Setlakwe and his wife, Yvette, have raised four children. He is 71 years of age.