The Honourable
Sheila Finestone
PC
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Mount Royal
In office
September 4, 1984 – August 11, 1999
Preceded byPierre Elliott Trudeau
Succeeded byIrwin Cotler
Senator for Montarville, Quebec
In office
August 11, 1999 – January 28, 2002
Appointed byJean Chrétien
Preceded byDalia Wood
Succeeded byRaymond Lavigne
Personal details
Born
Sheila Abbey

(1927-01-28)January 28, 1927
Montreal, Quebec
DiedJune 8, 2009(2009-06-08) (aged 82)
Ottawa, Ontario
Resting placeMontreal, Quebec
Political partyLiberal
Alma materMcGill University
CabinetSecretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women) (1993-1996)

Sheila Abbey Finestone PC (January 28, 1927 – June 8, 2009) was a Canadian Member of Parliament and Senator.

Early life

Born in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of Minnie Cummings Abbey and Monroe Abbey. Her father was a president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. Finestone received a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University in 1947. The same year, she married Alan Finestone (1923–1997). They had four sons: David (born 1950), Peter (born 1951), Maxwell (born 1954) and Stephen (born 1956).[1]

Career

From 1977 to 1980, she 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 re-elected 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). Finestone was appointed to the Senate of Canada in August 1999. She completed her term in the Senate in 2002 when she reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

She was a member of the board of the Canadian Landmine Foundation.

In 2008, Finestone was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians,[2] "presented annually to a former parliamentarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the country and its democratic institutions."[3] The award was accepted on her behalf by her son Peter, due to Finestone's inability to attend, following health challenges.[4]

Death

Finestone died of cancer on June 8, 2009, in Ottawa.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ "Sheila Finestone". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Distinguished Service Award". Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Activities of The Association". Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Acceptance on behalf of the Hon. Sheila Finestone, accompanied by three reading of remarks". Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  5. ↑ Notice of Sheila Finestone's death Retrieved June 10, 2009. Archived November 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "Former Montreal MP Sheila Finestone dies at 82". CBC News. June 9, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
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