- Born
- May 17, 1965 — Montreal, Quebec
- Education
- Degrees in both civil law and common law, University of Ottawa
- Career
- Executive director, Roy McMurtry Legal Clinic
- Political Experience
- Appointed to the Canadian Senate June 22, 2021; Mayor of Cornwall, Ontario (2018); Cornwall City Councillor (2006)
- Notable
- First woman and first person of colour to serve as mayor of Cornwall; first Black Canadian woman to serve as a mayor in Ontario. Ran as a Liberal Party of Canada candidate in 2011 and 2015.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before her appointment to the Senate, Bernadette Clement had a career in law and municipal politics. She was the executive director of the Roy McMurtry Legal Clinic in Cornwall, Ontario, a legal aid clinic that provides services to low-income residents. Her work there focused on poverty law and social justice issues. Clement also had a significant career in local government. She served as a city councillor in Cornwall for three terms before being elected as the city's mayor in 2018. She was reportedly the first woman to be elected to that position and the first Black woman to serve as a mayor in Ontario. Her professional life has been concentrated in the public and non-profit sectors.
Key Relationships & Connections
Bernadette Clement was appointed to the Senate in 2021 on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In the Senate, she sits with the Independent Senators Group (ISG), which is a non-partisan parliamentary group. Her long tenure in municipal politics in Cornwall established her relationships with various community leaders and organizations in Eastern Ontario.