The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians (CAFP) is a non-profit organization, established by an Act of the Parliament of Canada, the membership of which is composed of former members of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada.

History

On May 29, 1996, legislation establishing the Canadian Assoociation of Former Parliamentarians was adopted. Concurrently, thirty-four bronze plaques, representing the thirty-four parliaments to that time, and containing the names of all persons who had served in the Senate and House of Commons to that time, were unveiled in the Visitors Centre of the House of Commons.

The Association was created in response to a 1985 recommendation of a Special Committee on Reform of The House of Commons, chaired by James McGrath. It is modeled after the United States Association of Former Members of Congress

United States Association of Former Members of Congress

The United States Association of Former Members of Congress is a non-partisan, non-profit association of former Members of the United States Congress, founded in 1970 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1980.-Objectives and Activities:...

, founded in 1970.

The Association sponsors an annual Distinguished Service Award, "presented annually to a former parliamentarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the country and its democratic institutions." Past award recipients, from the time of the inception of the award in 1999, are Keith Penner

Keith Penner

B. Keith Penner is a Canadian public official and former politician. He is best known for having chaired a House of Commons committee on Indian self-government in the early 1980s, and for the report of the committee known as the Penner Report.-Early life:Raised in Alberta, Penner later moved to...

 (2010), Douglas Roche

Douglas Roche

Douglas James Roche, OC, KCSG is a former Canadian politician, He served as Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Edmonton—Strathcona from 1972 to 1979 and for Edmonton South 1979-1984. In 1984, he was appointed Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament, a position he held until 1989...

 (2009), Sheila Finestone

Sheila Finestone

Sheila Finestone, PC was a Canadian Member of Parliament and Senator.-Early life:Born in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of Minnie Cummings Abbey and Monroe Abbey, her father was a president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. Finestone received a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University in...

 (2008), Jacques Hébert

Jacques Hébert (Canadian politician)

Jacques Hébert, OC was a Canadian author, journalist, publisher, Senator, and world traveler having visited more than 130 countries.-History:...

 (2007), Wilton Littlechild (2006), Joseph-Roland Comtois

Joseph-Roland Comtois

Joseph-Roland Comtois was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was a professional engineer, soldier and reservist by career.-History:...

 (2005), Bruce Halliday

Bruce Halliday

Bruce Halliday, MD, CCFP was a Canadian physician and federal politician.-History:Born in Woodstock, Ontario, Halliday was a physician before being elected to the Canadian House of Commons from the Ontario riding of Oxford in the 1974 federal election.Halliday spent his early years in Ottawa,...

 (2004) and Aideen Nicholson

Aideen Nicholson

-Background:Aideen Nicholson was born in Dublin, Ireland. She was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and later at the London School of Economics.A social worker by profession, Nicholson worked at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, taught at George Brown College and the University of...

 (2003), John M. Reid (2002), Douglas Fisher

Doug Fisher

Douglas Mason "Doug" Fisher was a Canadian political columnist and politician.-Life and career:...

 (2001), Stan Darling

Stan Darling

-History:Born in Callander, Ontario, Stan Darling moved to Burk's Falls and founded Stan Darling Insurance Inc. in 1938. He was elected to the Burk's Falls City Council in 1942...

 (2000) and John Matheson

John Matheson

John Ross Matheson, OC, CD, QC is a Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician who helped develop both the maple leaf flag and the Order of Canada.- Early life :...

 (1999).

Among its other activities, the Association has established an Educational Foundation with, among other objectives, to "generally support the strengthening of democracy and good governance in Canada and abroad." The Association is also a participant in the International Election Monitors Institute

International Election Monitors Institute

The International Election Monitors Institute is an association of former Members of the United States Congress , the Canadian Parliament and the European Parliament, "to provide former legislators as election observers to operate worldwide in collaboration with other democracy-building...

, providing "former legislators as election observers to operate worldwide in collaboration with other democracy-building organizations."