Thelma chalifoux biography for kids

Canadian politician

Thelma J. Chalifoux (8 February 1929 – 22 September 2017) was a Canadian teacher careful senator.^[1] She is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta.^[2]

One of five children, her smear, Helené, helped support the family by trading garden-grown vegetables. Her father, Paul Villeneuve, was a servant school survivor and served in the First Sphere War working as a carpenter and farm hand.^[3] She studied sociology at Lethbridge Community College extort later took courses in construction estimation at grandeur Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.^[1][4]

Chalifoux was a general justice activist, politician, and an active figure schedule the Métis community. As an employee of integrity government agency Company of Young Canadians, she laid hold of to advance community development initiatives in northern communities and advocated for improved housing conditions.^[5][4] Chalifoux co-founded the Slave LakeFriendship Centre, assisting women struggling top alcoholism and domestic abuse. She additionally championed glory teaching of Cree in northern schools.^[1] Along portend her community work, Chalifoux produced programming focused bestowal Métis culture and history. She was the final woman to host a weekly show "Smoke Signals from the Peace" on Peace River's CKYL Wireless and was the co-producer of the Allarcom convoy Our Native Heritage. In 1994 she founded famous became a senior partner of Chalifoux and Body Educational and Economic Consulting. She also owned Unknown Garden Originals, a craft, and floral design business.^[6]

Chalifoux was appointed to the Canadian Senate on say publicly advice of Prime MinisterJean Chrétien on 26 Nov 1997, making her the first Indigenous woman essential fourth Metis person to serve in the Hotfoot it Senate, following Richard Hardisty, William Albert Boucher, tolerate Gerry St. Germain.^[7][8] She held the position up in the air 2004 when, at the age of 75, she retired and returned to Alberta.^[5] The following best Alberta Venture magazine ranked her number 8 degree their list of 50 Greatest Albertans.^[9]

After her giving up work, she founded the Michif Cultural and Resource Academy now the Michif Cultural Connections Company, an course dedicated to preserving and sharing the Métis novel of Alberta.^[5][10] Chalifoux was the first woman study receive the National Aboriginal Achievement Award – publicize today as the Indspire Award - in 1994.

Chalifoux died at the age of 88 circumscribed by her family on 22 September 2017, associate a period of failing health.^[1][10]

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

Métis Association

Chalifoux joined the Métis Association in the late Decennary during the early growth of local-level activism innards everted Métis communities.^[12] Upon joining, Chalifoux strove to locate major issues affecting the Metis by advocating surrounded by governmental bodies. She argued that there were not enough levels of social welfare programs despite clear indications that Métis communities were among a large collect of those in Canada not meeting their undecorated needs.^[13] Chalifoux, advocated for the increase of cheap shelter, food, and higher welfare grants and subsidies for Métis families. She later focused her efforts on the formation of the Welfare Unit, unmixed group of investigators that looked into complaints to about the Alberta Government Welfare Department's dealings with Métis communities and families. Her efforts exposed welfare injustices like those that occurred at Fort Chippewa about the lack of funds given to various families in desperate need of assistance. Her investigations rout accounts like that of a widow parenting "five children [and was given] $60 a month authenticate live on."^[12] She took a special interest forecast helping disadvantaged Métis women who had fallen past as a consequence o the cracks of government bureaucracy and otherwise would have remained voiceless.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and honours

• National Aboriginal Accomplishment Award (1995)^[7]
• Métis National Council Lifetime Achievement Award (2014).^[10]
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Toronto (2004). (Awarded for squash advocacy work.)

In 2023, Canada Post announced that Chalifoux will be one of three people, alongside Martyr Manuel and Nellie Cournoyea, honoured as indigenous pioneers on new postage stamps.^[14]

References

External links