Joyce Fairbairn

Joyce Fairbairn (November 6, 1939 – March 29, 2022) was a politician and journalist. She was a member of the Senate of Canada, and was the first woman to serve as the leader of the Government in the Senate.

Early life and education Born in Lethbridge, Alberta on November 6, 1939, She was a teenage journalist when she was a student at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, and wrote a column entitled "Teen Chatter" in the Lethbridge Herald. She married Michael Charles Frederick Gillan in 1967; he died in 2002.

Political life Fairbairn worked as a journalist in the Parliamentary Press Gallery in Ottawa before being hired as a legislative assistant to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1970. In 1981, she became Communications Coordinator in the Prime Minister's Office. On June 29, 1984, just prior to leaving office, Trudeau recommended her for appointment as a Liberal senator for Alberta, her home province. Over the years as a senator, she held a number of positions within the Liberal Party, including Vice-Chair of the National as well as the Western and Northern Liberal Caucus from 1984 to 1991, and Co-Chair of the National Campaign Committee for her party in 1991. She also chaired the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act. She sat on the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry until June 2012. In recognition of her role in promoting and supporting Paralympic sports across the country, she was inducted to the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame as a builder in 2011.

In August 2012, Fairbairn took indefinite sick leave from the Senate due to the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It was subsequently reported that Fairbairn had been declared legally incompetent in February but had continued voting in the Senate until June. The Fairbairn case led to calls for the Senate to establish rules to address similar situations should they arise. On November 30, 2012, she tendered her resignation to the Governor General with effect from January 18, 2013.

Later life On March 11, 2018, it was announced that the new middle school in Lethbridge, Alberta would be named after Fairbairn. It was named Senator Joyce Fairbairn Middle School, and opened in the fall of 2018.

Joyce Fairbairn died in Lethbridge on March 29, 2022, at the age of 82.

Honours

Commonwealth honours

Country Date Appointment Post-nominal letters November 4, 1993March 29, 2022 Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada CM 1992 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (Canadian Version) 2012 Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (Canadian Version)

Scholastic

Honorary Degrees Location Date School Degree Gave Commencement Address Spring 2004 University of Lethbridge Doctor of Laws (LL.D) Yes