Hon. Karen Sorensen: Honourable senators, I’m pleased to stand today to congratulate my colleague and friend Ron Hallman on his retirement from Parks Canada.

In decades of public service, Ron has worked tirelessly to conserve Canada’s natural and cultural heritage, particularly his work to support our national parks.

Ron’s political career began in this institution as an executive assistant for the Honourable Dan Hays, a past senator for Alberta, before moving on to senior roles with the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Department of the Environment.

In 2003, he joined Parks Canada. Three years later, Parks brought him to my neck of the woods, where he served three years as Executive Director of Mountain Parks.

He subsequently served as Parks Canada’s Vice-President of Protected Area Establishment and Conservation, senior assistant deputy minister at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and then president of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. Finally, Ron returned to Parks Canada as its president and CEO.

Ron’s community involvement is extensive and diverse, reflecting his interests in public policy and Canadian heritage. A retired commissioned officer of the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, he recently joined the board of directors of the Naval Museum of Alberta Society. This is in addition to his current roles as the chair of the board of directors of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, member of the board of governors of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and executive fellow at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy.

He has been named an international fellow of The Explorers Club and an honorary fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, which recently honoured him with their Joseph-Elzéar Bernier Medal.

Additionally, he’s a former director of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal. I have no doubt he’ll continue to serve our country in his retirement.

The national parks file is incredibly complex: It’s a balancing act between the priorities of communities, businesses and visitors with the need to safeguard habitats and biodiversity. Ron’s masterful management of this portfolio is seen in his accomplishments these past years. All Canadians have benefited from his accomplishments.

For me, as the former mayor of Banff, a town within a national park, I reflect on working with Ron personally. Together, we watched the bison herd flourish after their return to Banff National Park, worked on human-wildlife coexistence initiatives, increased the Roam Public Transit offering through Banff National Park and the entire Bow Valley, released federal land for housing projects in town and stood together to get legislation passed to assist in speedy recovery efforts in Jasper after the devastating fire in our sister community, to name but a few.

I’m happy to join the chorus of all those thanking Ron for his service and wishing him the best in his next chapter.

Thank you. Hiy hiy.