Dan Hays

Daniel Phillip Hays, , (April 24, 1939) is a Canadian politician born in Calgary, Alberta. He was Speaker of the Senate of Canada from 2001 to 2006, when he became Leader of the Government (Liberal) in the Senate. Hays was the Leader of the Opposition in the 39th Canadian Parliament (2006-2007), and chair of numerous Senate committees. He is the only child of Muriel and Harry Hays, who served as Minister of Agriculture in the government of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Dan Hays married Kathy in 2001. He has three daughters from his previous marriage: Carol, Janet and Sarah. He has two granddaughters, Theodora and Alexandra. Hays attended Western Canada High School, and Strathcona-Tweedsmuir in Calgary, as well as, Appleby College in Oakville. He obtained his B.A. degree in history from the University of Alberta and his LL.B. degree from the University of Toronto. Following his articles, in 1966, with the Calgary-based firm Macleod Dixon, he was called to the Alberta Bar, and became known as a prominent lawyer. Hays was active in various practice areas, most notably corporate, commercial, and international operations. As well, he had a meaningful role in the firm's strategic planning and government relations. He served as Chairman of Macleod Dixon, LLP after his retirement from the Senate. He has been a member of Macleod Dixon, and successor firm Norton Rose Fulbright, for over 50 years. Dan Hays has had a lifelong association with farming and ranching. He has been involved with the cattle industry since 1957 as a breeder, exhibitor and marketer of livestock. His father and, latterly, Dan operated a large mixed farm and ranch in the Foothills of Southern Alberta. They developed the first recognized Canadian developed pure breed of cattle, the Hays Converter. In 2001, he sold the bulk of his land; however, continued to maintain a herd of 200 Hays Converter cows, most of which have been donated to the University of Alberta's Faculty of Agriculture, Life, & Environm