Dawn Arnold, the mayor of Moncton, has been appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Announced late Friday afternoon, a news release from Trudeau's office described Arnold as "an accomplished public servant with over 30 years of experience in municipal government, community development, and publishing."

As mayor, "she championed public engagement and environmental sustainability, guiding Moncton toward rapid growth while fostering a vibrant, inclusive community," the statement said.

Arnold will take the spot left vacant by Moncton's Nancy Hartling, who retired from the Senate this year after serving since 2016.

Arnold was elected mayor in 2016 after previously serving as a city councillor for four years.

In a Facebook post, Arnold said it was an honour to be selected.

"The Prime Minister was clear that he expects me to make a significant contribution to the work of the Senate, and to actively be involved in the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing our country," Arnold wrote.

"He also underlined the fact that I will be able to contribute to the work of the Senate in an independent and non-partisan fashion, which is highly appealing to me. While my role is changing, my commitment to this city and to all Monctonians remains unwavering."

In an interview with Radio-Canada on Saturday, Arnold said she wants to bring to the Senate some of the values she promoted on council, such as inclusion, sustainability and bilingualism.

Arnold said she thinks a lot of people are thinking about what it means to be a Canadian and the values that come with it.

"So … holding dear and protecting our democracy, I think is a really important goal in this new job," Arnold said.

"As Canadians, we value peace, order and good government. We've seen what happens when some of those values are pushed to the wayside in, perhaps, other countries. And I think it's the time right now to really, as a country, reinforce those values."

The City of Moncton's website describes Arnold as a supporter of local arts and culture, serving on the board of the Frye Festival for 15 years.

She is a recipient of a number of honours, including the Order of New Brunswick, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal, the YWCA's Women of Distinction Award, and the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the Government of France.

Deputy Mayor Paulette Thériault will be acting mayor, effective immediately, a statement from the city said.

Paul Harpelle, spokesperson for Elections N.B., said Moncton will have to wait until May 11, 2026, to fill Arnold's vacancy.

Although byelections are being held this spring, Harpelle said the deadline to be included was Feb. 28.

"In this particular case, it is too late for us to receive anything from Moncton notifying us of a vacancy."