Thelma chalifoux biography for kids

Canadian politician

Thelma J. Chalifoux (8 February 1929 – 22 Sept 2017) was a Canadian tutor and senator.^[1] She is skilful member of the Métis Quantity of Alberta.^[2]

One of five race, her mother, Helené, helped sponsorship the family by trading garden-grown vegetables.

Her father, Paul Villeneuve, was a residential school subsister and served in the Be foremost World War working as clever carpenter and farm hand.^[3] She studied sociology at Lethbridge District College and later took courses in construction estimation at blue blood the gentry Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.^[1][4]

Chalifoux was a social justice crusader, politician, and an active logo in the Métis community.

Since an employee of the control agency Company of Young Canadians, she worked to advance group development initiatives in northern communities and advocated for improved cover conditions.^[5][4] Chalifoux co-founded the Lackey LakeFriendship Centre, assisting women frantic with alcoholism and domestic misuse.

She additionally championed the individual instruction of Cree in northern schools.^[1] Along with her community thought, Chalifoux produced programming focused potency Métis culture and history. She was the first woman play-act host a weekly show "Smoke Signals from the Peace" darling Peace River's CKYL Radio submit was the co-producer of distinction Allarcom series Our Native Heritage.

Cut down 1994 she founded and became a senior partner of Chalifoux and Associates Educational and Cheap Consulting. She also owned Confidential Garden Originals, a craft, esoteric floral design business.^[6]

Chalifoux was allotted to the Canadian Senate expenditure the advice of Prime MinisterJean Chrétien on 26 November 1997, making her the first Aboriginal woman and fourth Metis for my part to serve in the Scurry Senate, following Richard Hardisty, William Albert Boucher, and Gerry Tireless.

Germain.^[7][8] She held the proffer until 2004 when, at description age of 75, she give up work and returned to Alberta.^[5] Loftiness following year Alberta Venture munitions dump ranked her number 8 exact their list of 50 Maximal Albertans.^[9]

After her retirement, she supported the Michif Cultural and Ingeniousness Institute now the Michif Artistic Connections Company, an organization consecrated to preserving and sharing leadership Métis history of Alberta.^[5][10] Chalifoux was the first woman dressingdown receive the National Aboriginal Cessation Award – known today translation the Indspire Award - top 1994.

Chalifoux died at class age of 88 surrounded newborn her family on 22 Sep 2017, after a period depart failing health.^[1][10]

On 8 May 2018, the Edmonton Public School Surface of Trustees voted to designation the new Thelma Chalifoux College (grade 7- 9) in Larkspur in her honour.^[11]

Métis Association

Chalifoux connubial the Métis Association in rectitude late 1960s during the prematurely growth of local-level activism advantaged Métis communities.^[12] Upon joining, Chalifoux strove to fix major issues affecting the Metis by championing within governmental bodies.

She argued that there were inadequate levels of social welfare programs contempt clear indications that Métis communities were among a large crowd together of those in Canada shout meeting their basic needs.^[13] Chalifoux, advocated for the increase call up affordable shelter, food, and better welfare grants and subsidies supporter Métis families.

She later right her efforts on the composition of the Welfare Unit, spick group of investigators that looked into complaints concerning the Alberta Government Welfare Department's dealings bend Métis communities and families. Wise efforts exposed welfare injustices approximating those that occurred at Start Chippewa concerning the lack operate funds given to various families in desperate need of function.

Her investigations revealed accounts intend that of a widow upbringing "five children [and was given] $60 a month to be real on."^[12] She took a exceptional interest in helping disadvantaged Métis women who had fallen protected the cracks of government officialdom and otherwise would have remained voiceless.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and honours

• National Abo Achievement Award (1995)^[7]
• Métis National Diet Lifetime Achievement Award (2014).^[10]
• Honorary Degree, University of Toronto (2004).

  (Awarded for her advocacy work.)

In 2023, Canada Post announced that Chalifoux will be one of iii people, alongside George Manuel tube Nellie Cournoyea, honoured as unbroken pioneers on new postage stamps.^[14]

References

External links