Sheila Finestone

Sheila Abbey Finestone (January 28, 1927 – June 8, 2009) was a Canadian Member of Parliament for Mount Royal and Senator from Montarville, Quebec.

Early life Born in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of Minnie Cummings Abbey and Monroe Abbey, a lawyer and onetime president of The Canadian Jewish Congress. She was the niece of Nathan Cummings and Maxwell Cummings. Sheila received a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University in 1947 and married Alan Finestone (1923–1997). They had four sons: David (born 1950), Peter (born 1951), Maxwell (born 1954) and Stephen (born 1956).

Career From 1977 to 1980, Finestone was president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec. In 1984 she was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Mount Royal. She was reelected in the 1988, 1993 and 1997 elections.

Finestone was sworn to the Privy Council in November 1993 as Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women). She was appointed to the Senate of Canada in August 1999 and left in 2002 at the mandatory retirement age of 75. She was a board member of the Canadian Landmine Foundation.

Award In 2008, Finestone won the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians, "presented annually to a former parliamentarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the country and its democratic institutions". Finestone was unable to attend due to illness, so her son Peter accepted on her behalf.

Death Finestone died of cancer on June 8, 2009, in Ottawa.