List of Canadian territorial senators explained

This is a list of past and present members of the Senate of Canada representing the territories of Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The territories are currently represented by one senator each.

Parliament has the power to provide for the representation of territories in the Senate by virtue of section 1 of the Constitution Act, 1886 and section 44 of the Constitution Act, 1982.

The Northwest Territories was granted two Senate seats in 1888 and doubled to four seats in 1903. After Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905, the territories would not have Senate representation until the enactment of the Constitution Act, 1975 (No 2), which gave one seat to the Northwest Territories and one seat to the Yukon. Nunavut was granted one seat upon its creation in 1999 by virtue of the Constitution Act, 1999 (Nunavut).

The Constitution Act, 1999 (Nunavut) arguably impliedly repeals the Constitution Act, 1975 (No 2) since, despite its short title the Constitution Act, 1999 (Nunavut) provides for the representation of the three territories, not just that of Nunavut.

The Constitution Act, 1975 (No 2) and now the Constitution Act, 1999 (Nunavut) adapt the qualifications under section 23 of the Constitution Act, 1867 for those representing the territories so that they could fulfill their real property requirement and be resident in their territory.^[1] Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson has proposed the repeal of the real property qualification with the aim of increasing the number of residents of Nunavut qualified to be summoned to the Senate by the Governor General.^[2]

Current

align=left class="unsortable"		Name	Party	Division	Date appointed	Appointed by	Mandatory retirement		Independent Senators Group	Yukon		Trudeau, J.				Nunavut					Progressive Senate Group	Northwest Territories		Trudeau, J.

Historic

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories had representation in the Senate from 1888 to 1905. After the creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905, however, the territories were not represented in the Senate until 1975.

align=left class="unsortable"		Name	Party	Division	Date appointed	Appointed by	End of term		Independent Senators Group	Northwest Territories		J. Trudeau	Incumbent		Liberal	Northwest Territories				^[3]	Liberal	Northwest Territories				^[4]	Liberal	Prince Albert, NWT				^[5]	Liberal	Regina, NWT				^[6]	Conservative	Calgary, NWT				^[7]	Conservative	Wolseley, NWT				^[8]	Conservative	Edmonton, NWT

Yukon

The first senator for Yukon was appointed in 1975.

align=left class="unsortable"		Name	Party	Division	Date appointed	Appointed by	End of term
	Independent Senators Group	Yukon			Incumbent
	Conservative	Yukon
^[9]	Liberal	Yukon
^[10]	Liberal	Yukon

Nunavut

The first senator for Nunavut was appointed in 1999.

align=left class="unsortable"		Name	Party	Division	Date appointed	Appointed by	End of term	^[11]	Conservative	Nunavut					Liberal	Nunavut		Chrétien