- Born
- December 30, 1948
- Education
- Lawyer
- Career
- Member of the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories (1978-1995); Minister of Education, Justice and Municipal Affairs; Premier of the Northwest Territories (1987-1991); Director of the Northwest Territories Law Foundation; Chair of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Legal Services Board (until 2000); Private consultant (from 2001).
- Political Experience
- Appointed to the Senate for Nunavut on August 27, 2009, serving until his retirement on December 29, 2023. Sat as a Conservative until 2022, when he joined the Canadian Senators Group (CSG). Previously served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories for Frobisher Bay and Iqaluit from 1978 to 1995, and as the fifth premier of the Northwest Territories from 1987 to 1991.
- Notable
- Played a key role in the settlement of the Inuvialuit final agreement and the Nunavut final land claim agreement. Headed the campaign that led to the creation of Nunavut in 1999.
Based on publicly available information — may contain inaccuracies
Business & Financial Interests
Before his appointment to the Senate, Dennis Patterson had a long career in law and politics in northern Canada. He practiced law in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and was involved in establishing legal aid services in the region. His most prominent role was as the Premier of the Northwest Territories from 1987 to 1991. During his time as a senator, his financial disclosures listed assets typical for a public office holder, including investments in publicly traded securities and registered retirement savings plans. He did not have extensive or complex corporate holdings reported in his public declarations.
Key Relationships & Connections
Dennis Patterson was appointed to the Senate in 2009 on the advice of then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper, making him a key political appointee of the Conservative government at the time. He served as a Conservative senator for over a decade before changing his affiliation. Throughout his career, he has been a prominent advocate for the interests of Nunavut and Canada's North, establishing working relationships with Indigenous leaders, territorial governments, and organizations focused on Arctic sovereignty and development.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
In 2017, the Senate Ethics Officer investigated a trip that Senator Patterson and his wife took to China. The trip was sponsored by the Wealth One Bank of Canada and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. The investigation examined whether the trip could be seen as an attempt to influence the senator. The Ethics Officer ultimately concluded that Patterson had not broken the Senate's conflict of interest code. However, the report cautioned senators to be more critical when accepting sponsored travel from entities with close ties to foreign governments.
Public Controversies
In February 2021, Dennis Patterson was removed from two Senate committees by then-Conservative leader Erin O'Toole. The removal came after Patterson publicly supported a motion from another senator that acknowledged systemic racism in the RCMP, a position that contradicted the party's official stance. He also voiced support for carbon pricing, which was another point of disagreement with the party leadership. Shortly after being removed from his committee roles, Patterson announced he was leaving the Conservative caucus to sit with the Canadian Senators Group, and later joined the Progressive Senate Group. He stated that he could no longer be a "loyal member of a party that is not loyal to my constituents."