The House and its Members / The Physical and Administrative Setting

150th anniversary of the Press Gallery

Debates, p. 3883

Context

On June 1, 2016, the Speaker made a statement to recognize the creation of the Parliamentary Press Gallery nearly 150 years ago. Noting its important democratic function, the Speaker then drew the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of two former members of the Press Gallery, Helen Brimmell and Bernard Dufresne.

Statement of the Chair

The Speaker: Almost 150 years ago, journalists took their seats for the first time in the reporters’ gallery of the original Centre Block, and the Parliamentary Press Gallery was born.

Today, press gallery members continue to have a place set aside in this chamber, and they perform an important democratic function.

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of two former hon. members of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery:

Helen Brimmell, born Bannerman, was the third woman in history to become an official member of the gallery, in 1946. She was one of only two women reporting on the Hill at the time. She worked for The Canadian Press, The Royal Gazette in Bermuda, the Oshawa Times-Gazette, and the Guelph Mercury. Helen retired in 1990.

Bernard Dufresne joined the Parliamentary Press Gallery in 1954 as a young Canadian Press journalist. He worked here until 1960 and then returned from 1963 to 1965 as a correspondent for The Globe and Mail. He then became a minister’s assistant in the government of the day before joining the public service until he retired in 1989.