Appointments to the Senate

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced today that His Excellency the Governor General has agreed to summon Ms. Joan Cook of Newfoundland, Mr. Archibald Johnstone of Prince Edward Island and Mr. D. Ross Fitzpatrick of British Columbia to the Senate.

The appointments are effective immediately.

Biographies are attached.

PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555

A highly successful business woman, with deep roots in the community, Joan Cook is the 15th women appointed 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 our government took office to 29 as of Ms. Cook's appointment -- the most to be seated at any one time in Canadian history.

In business, Ms. Cook served for 25 year as Vice President of a family-owned automobile dealership; worked in management with CJON Radio and T.V; and with Robert Simpson Eastern Ltd. of Halifax.

She has a long and distinguished record of community involvement and activism. Through her United Church congregation, she has helped found a shelter for the homeless and served as a member for a national consultation on women and poverty.

Ms. Cook has also been named a National Life Member for her leadership role in Newfoundland with the Girl Guides of Canada, is a member of the General Hospital Board of Trustees and has worked with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

In recognition of her long record of voluntarism, Ms. Cook was awarded a Canada 125 Medal in 1992.

She lives in St. John's and is 64 years of age.

A veteran of World War Two, Archibald Johnstone has for many years been a driving force for Prince Edward Island tourism and agriculture.

He was educated at Irishtown School, Prince of Wales College, the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and the Ontario Technical College.

In World War Two, he served as a crew member with a Royal Air Force Heavy Bomber Squadron based in England. He was discharged with the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Mr. Johnstone has enjoyed great success in business, serving as Vice President and Co-Owner of Woodleigh Replicas Ltd. (1958-78) and President of Atlantic Importers and Distributors Ltd. (1964-78). His current endeavours include being President of Chesapeake Holdings Ltd. and President of Annandale Manor Inc.

Mr Johnstone has lent his time to numerous organizations, particularly those related to agriculture and tourism. He has served as President of the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture and as an Executive Member of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. He has also been Director of the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island and is currently a Director with the Travel Industry Association of Prince Edward Island. In 1992, he Chaired the Prince Edward Island Government Task Force on Tourism.

Mr. Johnstone was born in Burlington, Prince Edward Island and is 73 years of age. He is the son of Colonel and Mrs. E. W. Johnstone.

An innovative businessman, with a long history of community involvement, Ross Fitzpatrick is one of British Columbia's pre-eminent citizens.

In 1958 Mr. Fitzpatrick obtained a Bachelor of Commerce and Business Administration from the University of British Columbia. He also did post-graduate studies in Economics at the University of Maryland in 1962 and in Business Administration at Columbia University (New York) in 1962-63.

Mr. Fitzpatrick has enjoyed tremendous achievement as an entrepreneur, building highly successful businesses in fields as diverse as aerospace, energy and mining. His current endeavours include being Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Channel Resources Ltd., which carries out mineral exploration in West Africa; Chairman of PanAtlas Energy Inc., an oil and gas exploration production company headquartered in Calgary; and proprietor of Cedar Creek Estate Winery in Kelowna.

Mr. Fitzpatrick's ground-breaking work in mining earned him environmental acclaim. Viceroy Resources Corporation, which he founded in 1984, has won no fewer than six environmental awards, including the Financial Post 1992 Environmental Award for Business and the 1993 Environment Award from the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada.

Mr. Fitzptarick has a distinguished record of community service in British Columbia. He is a Past Member of the Board of Governors of the Vancouver Art Gallery and a member of the British Columbia Government House Foundation. He is also a supporter of numerous other philanthropic organizations, including, the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society and the University of British Columbia.

He and his wife, Linda, have residences in Kelowna and Vancouver. He has two children, Gordon and Lesley. He is 65 years of age.