Hand-me-down from yesteryear

The Guardians of Nov. 9 and 17 gave us photos and wide coverage involving our newest senator, Brian Francis. Watch for more. This senatorial appointment, however, is unfortunate. Back home as longtime chief of the Abegweit First Nations, Brian was close to his people, casually dressed for the most part, a familiar face among his people and beyond.

Now he sits in Parliament Hill’s plush assembly within a group of appointees, all so happy to be there. These are without doubt good people, sober with some second thoughts. In reality, however, these thoughts soon vanish like the morning dew. Why? Because the Canadian Senate is a useless institution, an old hand-me-down from yesteryear.

Across Canada, a number of provinces once had upper houses but all of them were deemed equally useless and disappeared long ago.

Brian Francis was a long-time trusted leader to his three-band community of Green Meadows, Scotchfort and Rocky Point. His move upstream to Ottawa’s hill is a heavy blow to these three areas and further afield. His elegant surroundings in our nation’s capital now leaves him riding a very lame horse and a voice lost in the desert air.

It is likely that across the wider Mi’kmaq landscape, our new senator will be held in disfavour, seen as one of Canada’s elite now with no capacity to deliver. In any case, deep within this foggy setting, we wish Brian well.

Art O’Shea, Charlottetown