First Vice-President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) Todd Lewis has been appointed to the Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Lewis, who farms south of Regina, is also a long-time Councillor in the R.M. of Lajord and was formerly the President of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS).
In an interview with SaskAgToday, Lewis said he submitted an application when a call for nominations when out two years ago, but hadn’t heard anything until a few weeks ago when he was interviewed by an independent board responsible for vetting potential candidates.
Not long after the interview with the board, he got a phone call from Prime Minister Trudeau, who asked him if he’d like to join the Senate, to which Lewis said yes.
“(Trudeau) called around 3 o’clock in the afternoon and we had a conversation,” Lewis said. “It was something, as I say, very unexpected and it’s not something that happens everyday – getting a phone call from the Prime Minister, that’s for certain.”
Lewis indicated he would have to step away from his role at the CFA and R.M. Council, along with a number of roles on community boards, in order to focus on the Senate full-time.
“It’s fortunate – the timing for that – the election year at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture are at the AGM here at the end of the month, so there will be a new Executive elected then and I won’t be re-offering my name to be Vice-President again,” he said.
“It’s going to be a real learning curve to learn how the Senate works and how much time is required in all those things,” he added when talking about whether there are some roles he can remain involved in, such as the community boards, but it is up to the Ethics Commissioner to decide.
As for the farm, located near the community of Gray, Saskatchewan, Lewis says it’s a multi-generational grain farm involving his brother and his nephew, so how much he can stay involved on the farm depends on the Senate schedule.
“Seeding may be a bit of an issue but for this year, for instance, seeding might be wide open if there’s an election called,” he noted, “they’ll be committee work and so on to do in those down times at the Senate as well, but time will tell and we’ll deal with it and it’ll be a transition for sure.”
Lewis was in Ottawa on Tuesday for the Farm Credit Canada Future of Food Conference with a delegation from CFA as well as begin his orientation as a Senator.
He says agriculture has been represented well by other Senators like Rod Black from Ontario and Mary Robinson from P.E.I. and looks forward to working alongside other Saskatchewan Senators.
“There’s great opportunity here and I think a Western Canadian Ag voice will be very important,” he added.
The CFA congratulated Lewis’ appointment to the Senate in a statement on its website and on the social media site “X”.