Hello Everyone,
I am proud and honored to share that I had the opportunity to speak with Canadian Senator Honorable Chantal Petitclerc, in this profound and authentic interview, Senator Petitclerc discusses her journey as a para athlete. Where she was asked to represent Canada. From there, she pursued a degree in humanities and then in history. Later, in the spring of 2016, she was asked to represent all Canadians and people with disabilities in the Senate.
My highlight of this podcast conversation is when Chantal begins talking about the Accessible Canada Act, one of the biggest pieces of legislation that protects the rights of people with disabilities in Canada! I also really appreciated Chantal’s response to the last question, What do you think makes a Mighty Person?
I hope everyone finds this podcast episode uplifting, delightful, encouraging, and finally resourceful. Finally I would like to thank my parents, my mentor Marco Pasqua, Dan Coulter, and MLA Brittny Anderson for supporting my aspirations and for coaching me to become more confident in my interviews!
Host of the Meeting Mighty People Podcast
Alexis Folk
Hello, everyone. Today, we are honored to be speaking with the Honorable Senator Chantel, who happens to be a paraplegic senator, who is also an amazing world renowned athlete, and she advocates for the well being of all Canadians within her job working in the Senate. Hello, Chantel, and welcome to the show.
Hello, and thank you so much for having me. Tell us about your journey working towards becoming a senator, please. Well, you know, I think I’m, uh, I am a senator a little bit by accident almost. Uh, and I mean, you know, it was not in my plan. I did not, uh, I did not envision one day I want to be a senator. And, uh, If I go very, very quickly through my journey, well, first, um, my life changed when I was 13.
Um, that’s when I became paraplegic. Uh, I had a accident on a farm and, uh, one of those major big, uh, barn door broke and fell on me. And that’s how I became paraplegic. And then Uh, a wheelchair user, uh, and which brought me to sport because I needed to be active and to become more independent with my wheelchair.
So I took on swimming, which led me to wheelchair racing because someone saw me and they They, you know, they saw potential, uh, in me within sport. And, um, and then I embark on that journey, like 25 years journey as a Paralympic athlete representing Canada, uh, through five Paralympic games. And, uh, and when I retired from sport, then, uh, like many, many of our athletes, you know, you retire and you have the medals and you have the records.
But you also have this big question mark. Uh, what is it that I’m going to do now? And what job will I get? And that’s when I was, um, uh, uh, That’s when I was approached to be appointed as a senator. The Senate was changing, as you may know. Uh, this government, uh, uh, Prime Minister Trudeau wanted a Senate, uh, That would be more independent, less political, less partisan, and he came up with this idea that there would be a committee choosing through all, um, Canada and, and for a more, uh, diverse and inclusive Senate.
And so that’s my big story. And that’s how I became a senator. So was there someone who inspired you to become? A Paralympic athlete. Oh, I have many inspirations. Uh, when I started wheelchair racing, uh, Paralympic athletes were not so recognized and we didn’t know them as much as we do today, although, you know, we, we, there’s still a lot of work to do as you know, but, but at the time.
Uh, there were two big legends in Canada. One of them was André Vizé from my home province of Québec. Uh, amazing, amazing athlete and, and marathon champion. And the other athlete was Rick Hansen from British Columbia. And I had the privilege to meet, uh, Rick Anson when he was doing his world tour, and it was only two years after my accident.
So he went through the world, but he also, he went through Canada and he stopped at my school in Quebec. And, uh, because I was the only person in a wheelchair in the whole school, uh, you know, I got to meet him and he talked to me and, um, and so it was very inspiring, uh, and to, to watch them. Um, Being so active and so strong and so positive and also to just, uh, travel the world and race and compete.
Uh, it really was, uh, for me, inspiring and, and, uh, and I really just wanted to, I tried it. And I fell in love with the sport and I wanted to do that. Awesome. That is like world most incredible story I’ve heard. Thanks. I actually want to work towards becoming a senator myself. Oh, that’s good. So my next question is, what are the biggest challenges of someone who A paraplegic working in the Senate.
Well, I will say one thing, and I’ve, I’ve been saying that, I’ve been there for eight years. You know, in the Senate, uh, the Senate can have 105 senators, sometimes a little bit more. Now there are some empty seats. You’re a little too young to apply, but the, you know, there’s some empty seats now. And what really worries me is the Senate is the voice of all Canadians.
Uh, and the reality is while we’ve made in the Senate a lot of progress when it comes to diversity, uh, you know, we have over 50 percent of women, we have amazing, amazing Indigenous colleagues, uh, people from all across the country with, um, different background. We have lawyers, we have artists, we have advocates, activists, but we don’t have a lot of persons with disability.
And I think, um, I think that’s missing, uh, because I think that every voices need to be heard. And it doesn’t mean, you know, like when I first, uh, came into the Senate, I remember, uh, everybody watching me, you know, saying, Oh, you’re going to be, uh, the champion of the rights of persons with disability. And I remember saying, yes, of course I will.
But. I have other interests, you know, I don’t limit myself to issues dealing with, uh, disability, you know, I care for the environment, I care for animal rights, I care for health and sport, of course, so, and I think it is the beauty of the Senate, is you, you arrive there with what makes you unique, But also, you, you know, it really opens your mind to everything else that is important for Canadians.
So, I will say, the challenges are not so much in terms of, uh, access. But it’s in terms of really showing everybody that, um, disability is one part of yourself. It does not define you. You have so many, we have so many other, uh, aspects about us. And sometimes people tend to forget about that. Yes, true. And Yeah, that’s just a good point.
You’re, you’re there to be human, you’re there to represent Canada, but you also care about the environment and you have other passions, still, as well, still dealing with a disability. Mm hmm. Yes, exactly. But as you know, uh, even if we are in a country where, uh, we’ve made so much progress in terms of including persons with disability, there are still lots of doors to be pushed open, you know, and, and, and I think that’s why it’s important that we are represented.
Uh, in the Senate, but also as you’re doing today in the media, that’s important as well. Yes, I agree. There are still some, we’ve come so far, but there’s still a lot further to go and ways of shaping people’s attitudes and whatnot and so forth. Mm hmm. Absolutely. What was one, what’s one of your favorite things you’ve done as a senator?
Mm hmm. Uh, as a senator, I’ve been involved in so, you know, many, many, uh, issues that are important to me. Uh, one of the big thing that I was a part of was of, of course, the, the Canada Accessible Act. And, uh, uh, this was very important because it’s one of the biggest piece of legislation protecting the rights of persons with disability in Canada.
So this is major. This is really major. And When we were studying and improving, because the Senate, uh, amended that bill to make it better, the whole philosophy was to tell, you know, with every decision was nothing about us without us. And that’s very important, is that every time Uh, Canada, or every time an organization or a school or a team makes a decision about persons with disability, well, persons with disability needs to be included in the process and in the decision.
So for me, this was very important. But I have to say that one, um, one piece of two, two, two issues that, um, are very, very close to, to my heart at the moment is one of them is, um, a bill, a piece of legislation, uh, C252 it’s called, and it’s the one that wants to protect, um, Children, uh, from, uh, marketing of, uh, unhealthy food.
And it’s important to me because in Quebec, my home province, uh, it is not authorized to, to do publicity and to do marketing. Uh, that is, uh, targeting children. And, but it’s not the case everywhere. So, uh, what we believe is that, you know, while children and I have, my son is 11. So, you know, you can eat sometimes a treat and this and this, but, but sometimes when you’re very young, uh, younger than yourself, uh, you don’t know exactly what is the truth, what is marketing.
So I feel very strongly that we should protect. Uh, our youth, uh, from marketing until they are mature enough to understand, okay, you know, I, I need to make my own decision. I have a critical thinking and I can analyze what is marketing and what is food and, and, and then, and then make my own choices. So I think that’s important to me.
I will say that another, uh, issue that is very important to me right now. And I’m curious to see what you think about it because, uh, everybody, you know, there’s a lot of different opinion on it. Is that Canada wants to, uh, Canada wants to, we call it phase out. So it wants to stop the captivity of great elephants because, you know, we have the zoos and for years and years we had the big elephants and the big, uh, you know, the gorillas and.
And now we know more. We know more about nature. We know more about the environment. We know more about what they need to be healthy and to thrive. And so, you know, we think that maybe, um, having those big, amazing animals in a small zoo is not the best scenario. So there’s this legislation that wants to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
So I’m very much in support of that. I, I, I, I’m supportive of that too, but I believe that they should still keep the animals in a bigger zoo so that you still get a chance to visit an elephant. And in Thailand, there’s elephant painting from friends of ours. They’ve seen some of that. That looks cool.
Yeah. That would be something I would want to do. No, that’s a good point. Well, see, that’s a good point. We share the same view about, it’s the welfare, you know, it’s the welfare of the animals. So how do we, how do we make that happen? Yes. And another question, if I may, I wonder how does it feel to wake up knowing that you’re in a position where you can make a difference for people all across Canada?
Oh, it feels, you know, it feels equally as such a privilege. I feel a lot of gratitude. You know, it’s such a privilege to be there. And at the same time, I also feel the responsibility. I have a job to do. I need to show up. Uh, I need to show up being my best and doing my best and, and pushing when it needs to be.
And sometimes You know, sometimes you, you have something that you need to, uh, you know, you need to fight about. And, and it’s not always fun fighting with people, even if it’s just with words, you know, and, and it’s in respect. We, we debate, we respect each other, but sometimes we don’t agree and it gets a little tense and it’s not always pleasant.
But this is, I think, This is the strength of the Senate, is that, you know, we debate, we debate, we argue, we ask the tough question, we answer the tough question. It’s not always comfortable, but at the end, we come together with what we believe is best for all Canadians, so it’s a huge responsibility. But it’s, it’s such a privilege.
Um, you know, my office is in Ottawa. One day, if you come to Ottawa, you have to tell, you have to come and visit. But my office is in Ottawa, and across from my office is, is the Parliament. And, um, I like to wake up very early. I was like that when I was an athlete. So very often I’m the first one in the whole building at 5.
30 in the morning and I watch the sunrise on the Parliament of Canada and I just feel like so grateful that I have this amazing opportunity to make a difference. And um, I don’t take it for granted. Uh, I, you know, I, I, I really want to, to be, uh, making that difference and having an impact. So that’s, that’s my, that’s my whole mission at the time.
Currently, I agree with you. I like, I like be, I’m waking up feeling that, okay, how am I going to do this today? How do I want to make something better for someone else or vice versa? Yeah, you know, that’s the most amazing thing that we can do, right? And sometimes it’s a small thing. Sometimes it’s a big thing, but it makes it all worth it.
And sometimes people think our disabilities are bad things that happen to us, but they’re actually good things because they make us who we are and then make us want to be stronger and want to make a difference for others. That is so right. Yes. Yes.
Talking about making our disabilities into talents, I’m curious, what makes an environment accessible in all ways to you? Accessibility, you know, it has, uh, it has many aspects to it. Uh, and I will say, first of all, it’s, it has to start with physical accessibility. Our cities needs to be accessible. The school, the city, the school.
Sports, the restaurant, you know, you need to be physically able to access everything you need to access, whether it’s a, you know, it’s a physical place with my wheelchair, whether it’s someone needing. Um, some equipment to be able to read and write. That’s, that’s basic, you know, that’s basic. And we should never compromise on, on, I need this to accomplish what I want to accomplish.
I need this environment, I need this chair, I need this computer. There’s no, you know, this is a non compromising. And then I think, The other aspect of accessibility is, and, and I don’t know if you agree with me, but I find that even when people are open minded and, and, and welcoming and inclusive and nice to us, you always have to prove that you can do it.
You know, you have to prove that you’re smart enough. You have to, you have to always prove them. And sometimes people underestimate. What we can do. And sometimes people and even great people, they will see, you know, they will see the limit and they don’t see the potential. So it’s always a fight and it’s worth it.
But, you know, it’s tiring sometimes to try to prove that you have the potential and that the limits, they’re not so big, the limits and they don’t matter so much. So I think. In a full environment, a fully inclusive and accessible environment is one where you have the tools you need to do what you do, and you have people that see the potential and, and, and don’t bother about the small limits.
Um, and sometimes it happens and then it’s great, right? Um, and sometimes it doesn’t happen. And we have to fight a little more. Yes, I agree with you. People, sometimes the people need to see better that the sky is the limit and people can do what they want to do. Like, if I wasn’t comfortable doing this, I probably wouldn’t have never have reached out and said, Hey, I want to do this with someone who I know is going to be a good interviewer.
Me, people make difference in a difference in the world. Thank you.
Last but not least, you’re very welcome. And what do you think makes a mighty person? Ah, you know, I think being mighty and I love this word. It’s such a good choice and such a good title for your podcast, the mighty. I love it because, you know, it’s all about. fighting, but it’s fighting with a positive attitude.
You know, it’s about, uh, wanting what you deserve. It’s about chasing your dreams and it’s about non compromising on, uh, what you wish for. So what makes a mighty person is, is I think it’s just having this fire inside of us and, and, and keeping the fire alive. And also it’s about. You know, it’s about making the decision to be our own best friend, because sometimes we, we’re not always our own best friends, you know, sometimes we have people, they, that will critic us or, or, but sometimes we do that to ourselves.
We critique ourself. We, we don’t have our, we don’t even have our own back. And so I think Mighty, it’s really, I’m my own best friend. I believe in myself. Uh, and I will fight for it, uh, with, you know, and, and, and, and just be fierce about what we want to get. Uh, and I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth it.
Um, it takes a lot of work. It takes some courage. Um, but in the end, it makes life so much more fun. Yes, in the end, it makes life so much more enjoyable. Yes, exactly. Yes, exactly. And that said Thank you for joining me today so I can help make a difference in the lives of other people using my network around me.
Well, thank you so much for having me, and I have no doubt you already are making a difference, so keep going at it. Thank you.
Meeting Mighty People by Alexis Folk 