Former Ottawa police chief Vern White resigns from Senate
Former Ottawa police chief Vern White is leaving the Senate about a decade after being appointed to the job.
White’s office said he is resigning effective Sunday.
The 63-year-old was eligible to serve in the Senate until 2034, when he turns 75. But White said Thursday it was never his plan to serve until the mandatory retirement age.
“When I came to the Senate I said that I would not serve until 75. At the time I’d anticipated six to nine years,” he told CTV News. “COVID kind of pushed me an extra year, so it’s 10 years.
“I think I’ll find something else that gives me some passion, and the Senate right now is not doing it.”
Then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed White to the Red Chamber in 2012. Before then, White was the Ottawa police chief for five years, and served as Durham police chief and for many years in the RCMP before that.
White said he’s not leaving the Senate unhappy, saying the role gave him “a great level of enjoyment.”
“I think the Senate is operating as well or even better than it has in the past,” he said. “I’m not leaving dissatisfied. It’s just time to find something I’m passionate about.”
White said he is moving to northern Finland, where his family has had a home for over a decade and his wife and daughter remain. The family spent the summer there and his daughter is enrolled in a local school.
White said he plans to do some guest lecturing and consulting.
“For now, it’s a place for us to rest our heads and enjoy life.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.