Arrest of 23-year-old Maygan Sensenberger, senator’s wife garnering international attention

By Andy Radia
August 27, 2012

(Yahoo News Canada) The story of a Canadian senator, his much younger wife, and a disturbance on an Air Canada flight that ended with her in jail is garnering international attention.

23 year old Maygan Sensenberger, the wife of 69 year old Senator Rod Zimmer, was arrested Thursday after the flight crew of an Air Canada flight bound for Saskatoon called ground crews to say Sensenberger was causing a ruckus.

Update: Sensenberger was released after a court appearance Monday afternoon on the conditions that she not drink or have any contact with her husband. Zimmer was also present in court, but didn't speak to the media. She is charged with endangering the safety of the aircraft and causing a disturbance.

According to court documents obtained by CBC News, Sensenberger is accused of uttering threats against her husband and for threatening to take down the plane.

Scott Wright, a witness who was on the plane, however, told CBC that the whole incident was blown out of proportion. He claims that Sensenberger was actually concerned about her husband, who appeared to be in some kind of health difficulty.

"She really thought he was in trouble," he said

A Manitoba senator's wife is expected in court over her alleged in-flight outburst last week. Maygan Sensenberger faces charges for causing a disturbance on an Air Canada flight to Saskatoon

Nonetheless, Sensenberger spent the weekend in jail — at the Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert — and is scheduled to make her second court appearance on Monday morning.


The story has been picked-up by the Daily Mail in the U.K., the New York Daily News in the United States, and as far away as Australia.

In typical British tabloid fashion, the Daily Mail added some sizzle to the story by publishing some provocative photos from Sensenberger's personal Facebook page.

The article also references Facebook photos "apparently taken in the House of Commons" showing Zimmer Sensenberger "gazing lovingly into each other's eyes and embracing."

The pair were married one year ago today — August 27, 2011.

About Senator Rod Zimmer:

Senator Zimmer, or 'Roddy' as his wife calls him on her Facebook page, was appointed to the Senate in August 2005 by prime minister Paul Martin.

He was a long-time Liberal fundraiser in Manitoba.

Here's a snippet from his biography on the Senate's website:

"Since 1993, he has been the President of The Gatehouse Corporation. From 1995 to 1998, he served as Vice President for the Festivals for the Pan American Games Society Inc. From 1985 to 1993, he was the Vice-President of Marketing and Communications for the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation and was also the Director of Project Management for the Canadian Sports Pool Corporation in Ottawa in 1984. From 1979 to 1983, he was Vice President of Corporate Communications for CanWest Capital Corporation. In 1973, he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

He is an extremely active player within his community, volunteering his services for countless charitable causes and organizations including serving as President of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet from 1989 to 1991 and as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football Club from 1981 to 1993. Throughout his career, he has developed and coordinated appeals for various charitable groups, arts and sport organizations and universities.

H/T: Michael Savage