Wanda Thomas Bernard

The Honourable
Wanda Thomas Bernard
CM ONS
The Honourable Wanda Thomas Bernard CM ONS
Senator for Nova Scotia
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; November 10, 2016
Nominated by	Justin Trudeau
Appointed by	David Johnston
Personal details
Born	August 1, 1953 (age 71); Halifax, Nova Scotia
Political party	Progressive Senate Group
Occupation	Academic
Profession	Social worker and educator

Wanda Thomas Bernard CM ONS (born August 1, 1953) is a Canadian senator.

Career

She was formerly a social worker and educator from East Preston, Nova Scotia. Bernard is the first Black Canadian to have an academic tenure position and become a full professor at Dalhousie University,^[2] where her research focuses on anti-oppression and diversity.^[3] Bernard was one of the founding members of the Association of Black Social Workers.^[2]

As a Senator

On October 27, 2016, Bernard was named to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sit as an independent.^[2] At the time of her appointment, she was the chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women.^[2] She is the first African Nova Scotian woman to serve in the Senate Chamber.^[3]

Bernard supports official recognition of Emancipation Day in Canada, and proposed a 2018 private member's bill to that effect.^[4]

Bernard joined the Progressive Senate Group on July 8, 2020.^[5]

Accolades and nominations

In 2005, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her work addressing racism and diversity in the field of social work,^[6] and in 2014, she was awarded the Order of Nova Scotia.^[7]

References

^ Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard | Black in Canada
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bryden, Joan (October 27, 2016). "Justin Trudeau set to name nine new senate appointments". Global News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Wanda Thomas Bernard appointed to the Senate of Canada". Dalhousie News. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
^ Smith, Emma (August 1, 2020). "N.S. senator calls for Canada to officially recognize Emancipation Day". CBC News. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
^ "The Progressives Welcome New Member". The Progressives. 2020-07-08. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
^ The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. "Order of Canada: Wanda Thomas Bernard, The Governor General of Canada". Retrieved 2017-02-25.
^ "Walter Borden, Wanda Thomas Bernard among five people named to Order of Nova Scotia". The Chronicle Herald. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2017-02-25.

External links

Wanda Thomas Bernard – Parliament of Canada biography

This article about a Nova Scotia politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard | Black in Canada

[:0-2] Bryden, Joan (October 27, 2016). "Justin Trudeau set to name nine new senate appointments". Global News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 27, 2016.

[:1-3] "Wanda Thomas Bernard appointed to the Senate of Canada". Dalhousie News. Retrieved 2017-02-25.

[4] Smith, Emma (August 1, 2020). "N.S. senator calls for Canada to officially recognize Emancipation Day". CBC News. Retrieved August 2, 2020.

[5] "The Progressives Welcome New Member". The Progressives. 2020-07-08. Retrieved 2020-08-23.

[6] The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. "Order of Canada: Wanda Thomas Bernard, The Governor General of Canada". Retrieved 2017-02-25.

[7] "Walter Borden, Wanda Thomas Bernard among five people named to Order of Nova Scotia". The Chronicle Herald. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2017-02-25.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

v t e Current members of the Senate of Canada
Presiding officers: Speaker: Raymonde Gagné Speaker pro tempore: Pierrette Ringuette
AB	■ Fridhandler ■ LaBoucane-Benson ■ Simons ■ Sorensen ■ Tannas ■ K. Wells
BC	■ Busson ■ Greenwood ■ Martin ■ Woo 2 vacancies
MB	■ Adler ■ Gagné ■ McCallum ■ McPhedran ■ Osler ■ Plett
NB	■ Boudreau ■ Cormier ■ Hartling ■ Kingston ■ McNair ■ Poirier ■ Quinn ■ Richards ■ Ringuette ■ Ross
NL	■ Manning ■ Marshall ■ Petten ■ Ravalia ■ D. Wells ■ White
NS	■ Aucoin ■ Bernard ■ Cordy ■ Coyle ■ Cuzner ■ C. Deacon ■ Greene ■ Kutcher ■ MacDonald ■ Prosper
ON	■ Al Zaibak ■ Ataullahjan ■ Black ■ Boehm ■ Boniface ■ Boyer ■ Burey ■ Cardozo ■ Clement ■ Dasko ■ M. Deacon ■ Dean ■ Harder ■ McBean ■ Moncion ■ Moodie ■ Omidvar ■ Pate ■ R. Patterson ■ Senior ■ Varone ■ Yussuff 1 vacancy
PE	■ Downe ■ Francis ■ MacAdam ■ Robinson 1 vacancy
QC	■ Audette ■ Brazeau ■ Carignan ■ Dagenais ■ Dalphond ■ Forest ■ Galvez ■ Gerba ■ Gignac ■ Gold ■ Housakos ■ Loffreda ■ Massicotte ■ Mégie ■ Miville-Dechêne ■ Moreau ■ Oudar ■ Petitclerc ■ Saint-Germain ■Seidman ■ Smith ■ Verner ■ Youance 1 vacancy
SK	■ Arnot ■ Batters ■ Cotter ■ Klyne ■ Muggli ■ Wallin
Territories	NT ■ Anderson NU 1 vacancy YT ■ Duncan
■ Independent Senators Group (41) ■ Canadian Senators Group (18) ■ Progressive Senate Group (13) ■ Conservative (12) ■ Non-affiliated (16) vacant (5)

v t e Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology
Chair	Ratna Omidvar
Deputy Chair	Patricia Bovey
Members	Wanda Thomas Bernard Donna Dasko Stan Kutcher Marilou McPhedran Rosemary Moodie Dennis Patterson Chantal Petitclerc Rose-May Poirier Josée Verner

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	United States