October 4, 2001
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced today that Her Excellency the Governor General has agreed to summon Gerard A. Phalen of Nova Scotia, Joseph A. Day of New Brunswick and Michel Biron of Quebec to the Senate.

These appointments are effective immediately.

Biographies are attached.

- 30 -

PMO Press Office (613) 957-5555

Gerard A. Phalen was an Industrial Mechanical Instructor in Nova Scotia for almost 25 years before retiring from teaching in 1991.

Mr. Phalen was a distinguished union leader throughout most of his teaching career, first serving as a Board member and then Vice-President of the Nova Scotia Employees Union (1970-76). From 1976 to 1979, he served as President of the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union, Vice-President of the Council of Atlantic Provincial Employees and as a Board Member of the National Union of Provincial Government Employees. In 1995, he became a Board Member of the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Tribunal, a position he held until 1997.

During his tenure at both the Nova Scotia Eastern Institute of Technology (NSEIT) – where he began his teaching career– and the University College of Cape Breton (UCCB), Mr. Phalen also maintained a high level of involvement in institutional and collegial affairs. At the NSEIT, he notably served as Chairman of the Faculty Association and Chairman of the Negotiating Committee. At the UCCB, he was a member of the College Council for six years and Chairman of the Negotiating Committee for another six years, in addition to serving on various other committees.

Since 1999, Mr. Phalen has been a Board Member of the Cape Breton-based ellph.com Solutions Inc.

Gerard A. Phalen and his wife, Christina, have three children. Mr. Phalen is 67 years of age.

Joseph A. Day is a well-known New Brunswick lawyer and engineer, with considerable experience as a private practice attorney and corporate legal counsel.

Mr. Day holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada. He has also earned an LL. B. from Queen’s University and a Masters of Laws (LL.M.) from Osgoode Hall. He has been called to the Bar of New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. He is also certified as a Professional Engineer in the Province of New Brunswick.

Mr. Day began his career as a private practice attorney in 1973 with Donald F. Sim in Toronto. He then moved on to the firm of Ogilvy Renault in Ottawa before joining Gowling & Henderson in Kitchener-Waterloo. As an attorney, his areas of interest include Patent and Trademark Law and intellectual property issues. He is certified as a Specialist in Intellectual Property matters by the Law Society of Upper Canada. Mr. Day is also a Fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada.

In 1992, he joined, as Legal Counsel, J.D. Irving Limited – a major conglomerate with substantial interests in forestry, pulp and paper, shipbuilding, transportation and construction. In 1999, he became President and CEO of the New Brunswick Forest Products Association, a position he held until 2000.

Mr. Day has also been highly active in professional and community organizations. He has held various volunteer positions within the Canadian Bar Association, the Patent and Trademark Institute and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, where he served as National Director in 1998-99. He has directed the United Services Institute and was a member of the Board of Governors of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires (NB / PEI Division). He served as National President of both the Alumni Association (1996) and the Foundation (1998-2000) of the Royal Military College Club of Canada. In addition, he has chaired the Tattoo 200 Saint John Bicentennial Celebration, the 1996 Saint John Regional Hospital ‘Rally of Hope’, and the fund-raising activities of the Peter Gzowski Golf Tournament for Literacy. Mr. Day currently chairs the Foundation as well as the Board of the Dr. V.A. Snow Centre Nursing Home and the Board of the Associates of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick.

Mr. Day is 56 years of age.

Michel Biron is a well-known businessman from the Quebec region of Nicolet, where he has worked for more than 45 years to further the economic, social and cultural development of his region.

Mr. Biron has achieved great success as an entrepreneur. In 1967, he became president of Sogetel inc., a telecommunications company which today is over a hundred years old. Under his leadership, Sogetel brilliantly made the transition to modern telephony and new communications technologies. Currently, Michel Biron is also president of Sogetel Mobilité inc., Sogetel Interurbain inc., NTIC inc. and Mont Orignal inc.

Mr. Biron devoted many years to the Association des compagnies de téléphone du Québec and the Canadian Independent Telephone Association. His extensive experience and his commitment to independent companies earned him the honour of being named Man of the Year in Telephony in 1981.

A very active member of the community, Mr. Biron has been, among other things, founding president of the Caisse d’entraide économique in Nicolet, a member of the Comité consultatif de l’industrie textile of Saint-Hyacinthe’s Centre des technologies textiles and director of the Nicolet Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as the chair of various social and sports organizations, and supports several artists and organizations, such as the Musée des religions de Nicolet.

Michel Biron was appointed Member of the Order of Canada in May 2001. He is 67 years old.