Category: Feature

Thoughts on Prayers: An Analysis of Prayers in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, 2003-2019

This entry is part 4 of 9 in the series Vol 44 No. 3 (Fall)

Thoughts on Prayers: An Analysis of Prayers in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, 2003-2019

This article highlights some of the ongoing work on legislative prayer being conducted by the research team of the BC Humanist Association (BCHA). Since 1984, the BCHA has provided a community and a voice for Humanists, atheists, agnostics and the non-religious in BC. Humanism is a worldview that promotes human dignity without belief in a higher power. Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff is the Research Coordinator for the BCHA, and has a PhD in politics and international studies from the University of Cambridge. Ian Bushfield is the Executive Director of the BCHA. Dr. Katie Marshall is a member of the board of the BCHA and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia. Ranil Prasad and Noah Laurence were summer researchers with the BCHA, and their positions were supported in part by the Canada Summer Jobs Program.

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A Fire, a Chair, and Crested Notepaper: Canada’s Coat of Arms at 100

This entry is part 3 of 9 in the series Vol 44 No. 3 (Fall)

A Fire, a Chair and Crested Notepaper: Canada’s Coat of Arms at 100

Forrest Pass is a curator with the Exhibitions and Online Content Division at Library and Archives Canada. Between 2009 and 2013, he was Saguenay Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority and has researched and written extensively about Canada’s symbolic heritage.

A century ago this autumn, Canada adopted a new coat of arms. In this article the author recounts the events that prompted discussions for a new design and notes how Parliament and parliamentarians affected the selection in unexpected ways.

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Regrouping in the Senate of Canada

This entry is part 1 of 9 in the series Vol 44 No. 3 (Fall)

Regrouping in the Senate of Canada

Scott Tannas was the person elected during Alberta’s 2012 Senate nominee elections. He was appointed to the Upper Chamber as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2013. On November 4, 2019, he joined the Canadian Senators Group and has served as its interim leader since that time.

Following the introduction of a new application process for the Senate which introduced a large number of non-partisan appointees to the Red Chamber, a group of Independent Senators formed a caucus called the Independent Senators Group (ISG) in 2016. Later joined by Senators who had previously been a part of either the Liberal or Conservative caucuses, the ISG soon grew so large that other caucuses of independent Senators formed, including the Canadian Senators Group (CSG) and Progressive Senate Group (PSG). In this article, the author explains how this process unfolded and why he believes the new independent caucuses in the upper chamber are fundamental for the Senate to exercise unwhipped, unvarnished, and unimpeded sober second thought.

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Planning for the Rehabilitation of Centre Block: The House’s Experience

This entry is part 2 of 12 in the series Vol 44 No. 2 (Summer)


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Planning for the Rehabilitation of Centre Block:
The House’s Experience

Susan Kulba is the Director of Real Property Services at the House of Commons and overseas the Centre Block Rehabilitation Program.

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Construction, maintenance and expansion of the parliamentary building complex in Québec from 1764 to the present day

This entry is part 5 of 12 in the series Vol 44 No. 2 (Summer)


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Construction, maintenance and expansion of the parliamentary building complex in Québec from 1764 to the present day

Christian Blais is an historian with the National Assembly Library.

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Accessibility Renovations in Canada’s Parliamentary Precincts

This entry is part 6 of 12 in the series Vol 44 No. 2 (Summer)


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Accessibility Renovations in Canada’s Parliamentary Precincts

Canada’s parliamentary precinct buildings were constructed during periods when thoughts about accessibility accommodations ranged from virtually non-existent to something considered when commissioning new builds. As a result, jurisdictions with older properties have undergone a series of renovations in recent decades to make these precincts more accessible for parliamentarians, staff and the public. The following lists and summaries detailing these renovations were created using information provided by the Office of the Clerk, parliamentary librarians, and/or departments of property management.

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Construction of the National Assembly of Quebec’s New Visitor Centre: Redesigning the Visitor Experience

This entry is part 3 of 12 in the series Vol 44 No. 2 (Summer)


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Construction of the National Assembly of Quebec’s New Visitor Centre: Redesigning the Visitor Experience

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The Alberta Legislature Building: A Living Monument

This entry is part 4 of 12 in the series Vol 44 No. 2 (Summer)


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The Alberta Legislature Building: A Living Monument

Valerie Footz is Director of Library Services and Records Management. Philip Massolin is Clerk of Committees and Research Services at the Legislative Assembly Office

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Nancy Hodges: Trailblazer for Women in Politics

This entry is part 10 of 11 in the series Vol 44 No. 1 (Spring)

Nancy Hodges: Trailblazer for Women in Politics

As the first woman in the Commonwealth to serve as a Speaker of an assembly, Nancy Hodges made an enormous contribution to the representation of women in politics. However, it was only one chapter in a long political and professional career in which she served as a tireless advocate for and champion of women’s rights.

The appointment of Sarah Annie “Nancy” Hodges as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1950 was a pivotal step for women in politics; Hodges became the first woman in the Commonwealth to hold the Speakership. During her time as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and of the Senate of Canada, Hodges was a trailblazer for the representation of women in politics and a champion of women’s rights.

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