A New Brunswick senator has retired after eight years in the red chamber.
Nancy Hartling reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 on Saturday.
Hartling remembers being both terrified and excited when beginning her journey.
“I said I was ‘terri-cited’ because I was so honoured when I got that call from the prime minister,” she said.
“I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ I said to the prime minister, ‘I’ve met your mother. I’m looking forward to meeting you.’ It was a shock to get that call and an honour to do this.”
Hartling was among the second group of senators appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in late 2016.
She said one of her proudest moments was when the Senate passed a bill making the lyrics of O Canada gender neutral.
“I remember the evening when the vote took place vividly. After it passed, there was a lot of excitement after so many years on the issue of changing those words. When I hear that song now, I always remember that night,” said Hartling.
“We have done other bills that were inclusive for Canadians, such as those regarding MAID, dental care and pharmacare. Those are good things we have done.”
An appointment to fill Hartling’s vacancy is expected in the coming weeks.
