Senator Paul J. Massicotte

The Honourable Paul J. Massicotte

Born in Manitoba, Senator Massicotte obtained his Bachelor of Commerce (Dean’s Honour List) in 1974, from the University of Manitoba.

In 1976, while working at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, he earned the designation of Chartered Accountant from the Manitoba Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the following year he became a member of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec/Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec. In February 2005, Senator Massicotte was granted the title of Fellow from the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec/Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec, the profession’s highest honorific designation.

From 1977 onwards, he was successively appointed to senior executive positions with commercial real estate development firms in Western Canada, before moving to Montreal in 1985 to join the Alexis Nihon Group, a major commercial real estate owner. Senator Massicotte was President and co-owner of Alexis Nihon from 1985 to 2006. He was also the owner of Attractions Hippiques from 2006 to 2009.

Senator Massicotte was appointed to the Senate on June 26, 2003, on the advice of the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien. He has joined the Independent Senators Group in October 2017. He is currently Chair of the Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources and a member of the Standing Committee on Banking, Commerce and Economy. He has previously served on numerous other committees including the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Special Committee on Senate Modernization, the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and on the Standing Committee of Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament. Senator Massicotte’s committee memberships allow him to work towards the causes that matter deeply to him, such as international trade, action against climate change, and improving Canada’s economic conditions to contribute to the prosperity of all Canadians. He is also actively committed to efforts for the Senate modernization.

Senator Massicotte is also Chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association and Vice-Chair of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Association, as well as member of other Inter-Parliamentary groups such as: Canada-Africa, Canada-Europe, Canada-France, the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie and the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association. Senator Massicotte is very involved in these Inter-Parliamentary associations and regularly represents Canada at various meetings with his counterparts in such places as Washington, D.C. and Japan.

In the past, Senator Massicotte contributed as Director and Lead Director of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada, and was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Agellan Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust. He was also a member of the Advisory Committee of Mercantile Bancorp Limited. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Real Property Association of Canada, the Canadian Home Income Plan, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal Foundation and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Senator Massicotte has also been Chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization (Quebec Chapter), past member of the Canadian Board of the Young Presidents’ Organization, as well as a member of the Regional Council of the Société du Quartier International de Montréal . He was a founding Director, Chairman and President of the Urban Development Institute of Quebec. He was also a Board member of the insurance company La Solidarité, and a member of the Study Committee on Fiscal Equity at the Municipal Level in the Montreal area.

Senator Massicotte also acted as Honorary Co-Chair at fundraising campaigns for the George Stephen House Trust Fund and was one of the Honorary Patrons for the financial campaigns of Quebec women shelters Le Chaînon. Senator Massicotte and his wife organized different fundraising activities including a fashion show benefitting the Centre d’Action Bénévoles de la Vallée de la Richelieu. Most recently he sat on the Board of Directors of the Ste-Anne’s Hospital Foundation. He is still active with several other social and charitable institutions.