Stephen Harper has spread holiday cheer to 16 new Conservative senators. But all too typically, the news still isn’t up on the Government of Canada website.

So here, via Kady O’Malley’s blog Inside the Queensway, are the potted bios of B.C.’s three new senators:

Nancy Greene Raine, O.C., OBC was Canada’s female athlete of the last century by the Canadian Press and Broadcast News. She won gold and silver medals in alpine skiing at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics and overall World Cup titles in 1967 and 1968. Her total of 14 World Cup victories (including the Olympics) is still a Canadian record. During her nine-year career Nancy won a total of 17 Canadian Championship titles. Since retiring from active competition, she has worked to promote the sport and was instrumental in the early development of the Whistler-Blackcomb Resort. Since 1994 she has been Director of Skiing at Sun Peaks Resort and since 2005 she has been Chancellor of Thompson Rivers University. Ms. Green Raine is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a member of both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Yonah Martin has deep roots in both Korean and Canadian heritage and has spent her life building bridges between different cultural communities in BC. Born in Seoul, South Korea, before immigrating to Canada 1972, Ms. Martin is the co-founder of the Corean Canadian Coactive (C3) society and has served on the Multicultural Advisory Council of BC, the Vancouver Korean Canadian Scholarship Foundation, the Kateslem After School Club and the Coquitlam Festival Planners Network. Ms. Martin has also been active in political life as a candidate in the constituency of New Westminster-Coquitlam. In 2004 Ms. Martin received ‘Spirit of Community’ award for her service in the Tri-Cities Area.

Richard Neufeld has spent close to two decades in public service to the people of British Columbia. First elected to represent the riding of Peace River North in 1991, Mr. Neufeld has been re-elected on three separate occasions. Since 2001 Mr. Neufeld has served as British Columbia’s Minister of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources. Mr. Neufeld has also served as the on the council of Fort Nelson, including five years as mayor. Prior to his involvement in public life, Mr. Neufeld owned and operated his own business.

The Hook will follow reaction to these appointments, especially in the political blogosphere.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.