'A privilege and an honour': Edmonton educator and advocate appointed to Senate

Dr. Kristopher Wells discusses his appointment to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: The Prime Minister's Office announced over the weekend that educator and LGBTQ2S+ advocate Dr. Kristopher Wells and Darrell Fridhandler - a corporate lawyer, arbitrator and business person - have both been appointed independent senators representing the province. Kristopher Wells joins us now. Senator Wells, congratulations on the appointment. What does it mean to you to have this opportunity now to serve in the Senate?

Kristopher Wells: It's a privilege and an honor when your country calls you and the Prime Minister asks if you're willing to serve. There really isn't any higher calling than that, so I'm excited about the days, months and years ahead. Definitely a lot to learn.

MH: And who was it that made the call to you - how were you notified?

KW: Yeah, it's a funny experience. You get a call saying,: 'this is the switchboard, will you take a phone call from the Prime Minister?' So it all happened very quickly, and the Prime Minister and I had a very good chat. He reiterated that this is a nonpartisan, independent role - and just said we’re selecting you because of who you are and the work that you've done, and we expect you to continue that in the Senate.

MH: Okay, with that in mind - what drove you to apply to become a senator, and what do you now hope to accomplish?

KW: You know, I always believe that we get the communities we're willing to build. That means we need to step up and be part of the solution, rather than just always pointing out the problems and the challenges. So, you know, over the years, many different political parties have asked me if I'd be interested in running for an election, and for various reasons the timing has never worked out. Even joining the Senate was a very difficult decision because I have an amazing job as a Canada Research Chair doing incredibly valuable and important work. This just really means as an educator, I guess maybe the only thing that's changed is the size of my classroom.

MH: Now that's a good analogy. In a post on “X”, Premier Smith refers to both yourself and Senator Fridhandler as “left wing partisans” who will do whatever he - as in Prime Minister Trudeau - and the Liberals order them to do. How do you respond to that reaction?

KW: Just a bit disappointed. It's kind of a disingenuous comment. You know, I know Premier Smith for well over a decade. I've met with her, I've made opportunities for her and other members of political parties to meet with our 2SLGBTQ young people, and I would extend that same opportunity to her today. You know, if she really wants to understand these young people and their experiences and their families, well, we'll create that opportunity. She can meet directly with trans and non-binary young people - which she's failed to do in any meaningful or substantive kind of way. So, you know, my door is always open. I'm happy to meet with the premier, happy to meet with the government anytime, as I know all of our other senators in Alberta are. So I'm just a bit disappointed in her message. But, you know, I got very supportive and congratulatory messages from two former premiers in Alberta, and probably not the two that you would think are the most likely. So I take it to heart that there are a lot of people who’ve got my back and who are championing the important work that we're going to do representing our province and country in the Senate.

MH: Now you've been on the show as a vocal opponent of Alberta government policy decisions in the past - whether it's to do with trans children, or planned legislation on pronouns in schools. The list is long. Now that you are a senator, what comes of your advocacy?

KW: Yeah, the advocacy just takes different forms. As I said, it's a larger opportunity. I was told to continue being who I am and continue the work that we believe is important. I'm always going to bring a research-informed, evidence-based perspective to the issues of the day. So, you know, none of that is going to change. I've always looked at my role, no matter whether I was in the university or in the community, working with CEOs, corporations, governments, nonprofits - is to be a critical friend, right? To point out the challenges and the problems, but also to be able to bring the solutions. That's a really important role that the Senate plays, is to bring that scrutiny, that sober second thought to government legislation, and try to produce the very best possible legislation that will benefit Canadians.

MH: How do you see yourself working with Albertans already in the Senate? What do you anticipate in that regard?

KW: Yeah, absolutely already the opportunity to learn from our existing senators, welcome our new colleague in Calgary, and just to get out, engage, learn and listen. There will be lots of opportunities. I think the most important thing to do first is lots of listening, asking lots of questions, and drawing on the experience of those mentors that are already in the Senate.

MH: A last quick question for you - how much independence do you feel you will have as a senator?

KW: Total independence. You know, there is no one placing pressure, undue influence. In fact, the prime minister emphasized that. I think we've seen that in the changes in recent years to the Senate, with the number of amendments, very good amendments, that the Senate has proposed to government legislation. So we're seeing the Senate evolve and change before our eyes. I, myself, like many others, think that's a change long overdue and a very promising one for our country and our democracy.