Lethbridge mourns Senator Fairbairn

By Lethbridge Herald on March 31, 2022.

Senator Joyce Fairbairn, who was inducted into the Kainai Chieftainship in 1990 and given the name Morning Bird Woman, has died at age 82. Photo by Harry Palmer

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD

Tributes are flowing in to the late Senator Joyce Fairbairn who died Tuesday in Lethbridge at the age of 82.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement Wednesday it was with great sadness he learned of the passing of Fairbairn, who he called “a wonderful friend to my father and me, a passionate and brilliant Albertan, and above all, a truly dedicated servant of Canada.

“Senator Fairbairn spent 50 years working on Parliament Hill, where she was the first woman to serve as Leader of the Government in the Senate and championed adult literacy programs and campaigns as Minister with Special Responsibility for Literacy. Her efforts brought national attention to adult literacy, helped reduce stigma for adult learners, and provided Canadians with essential tools and resources to support their learning goals.

“In 2015, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for her distinguished career and her dedication to improving the lives of Canadians. In 2018, the Senator Joyce Fairbairn Middle School in Lethbridge was duly named in her honour.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, Sophie and I extend our deepest condolences to Senator Fairbairn’s family and friends – we are grieving with you. She was a true champion for Canadians and will be dearly missed,” said the Prime Minister.

Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas said she didn’t have the privilege of working with Fairbairn “but her former colleagues have shared many positive and inspiring stories with me. She worked hard for the people of southern Alberta and was a dedicated champion of Paralympians. Her energy and optimism made her stand out.”

Former mayors Robert Tarleck, Rajko Dodic (currently acting mayor) and David Carpenter also spoke of Fairbairn’s loss.

Fairbairn’s “love for southern Alberta was evident in her passionate representation for communities in this region in Ottawa,” said Tarleck.

“This love for southern Alberta included First Nations communities. When I recently visited Joyce at St. Terese Villa, she proudly displayed a key to the city which I had presented to her during my time as mayor. For what she was, a powerful advocate, we’re fortunate to have had such representation in this region,” said Tarleck.

Carpenter said Tuesday “Joyce was a wonderful lady, hard-working and dedicated to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta.

“I remember every year she used to do as many of the parades in the surrounding towns as humanly possible and then come back and smile all through the city’s Canada Day ceremonies. A ferocious speaker, never using notes, she could capture your attention even if you were one of a thousand listening,” said Carpenter.

“My biggest nightmare was to find out that I was scheduled to speak after her. A brilliant advocate of literacy, I believe they even created a federal cabinet position for her as minister. She made a difference,” said Carpenter.

Flags were lowered Wednesday at City Hall in honour of Fairbairn, Dodic, speaking on behalf of city council, said in a statement.

“On behalf of Lethbridge city council, we extend our sincerest condolences to the Fairbairn family. In my past council experience, I had the pleasure of attending many occasions with Senator Fairbairn and I always admired her dedication to public service. She was a builder and a trailblazer, not just here in Lethbridge but across the nation.

“From my experience she was like the Energizer bunny – she never stopped. She was always advocating for her country, her province but even more so, on behalf of Lethbridge citizens. Her numerous contributions will be felt forever in our community.

“We will miss her,” said Dodic.

Alex Hann, a former mayor of Coaldale, said Fairbairn was a great representative of southern Alberta and he got to know her while driving to community parades in the region.

“She could tell stories that would leave you spellbound and drop names of very important and notable people from her time in Ottawa. She told me a story of how Mick Jagger and the boys walked her through a park in London late one night. They became friends and when the Rolling Stones were playing near by she would be their guest for the concert. Above all else she was just a lovely lady to all. She would always ask how my family was and wanted to know about my children. I always considered myself blessed to be her friend.”

NDP MLA for Lethbridge West Shannon Phillips also expressed her sadness to The Herald after hearing of Fairbairn’s death at St. Therese Villa.

“I was saddened to hear of Senator Joyce Fairbairn’s passing. Joyce broke ground for women journalists and politicians with her five decades of public service. She was always very grounded in Lethbridge and championed our city and region all the time,” said Phillips.

‘In Lethbridge wearing her trademark red jacket, Joyce was everywhere. Most of us met in the community because she put the people of Lethbridge first. I extend my deepest sympathies to Senator Fairbairn’s family and friends,” the MLA added.

In September 2018, a new westside middle school named after Fairbairn opened in the Sunridge subdivision.

Craig DeJong, principal of Senator Joyce Fairbairn Middle School, said “the Senator Joyce Fairbairn Middle School learning community shares in the sadness of the loss of a great leader and person. Senator Fairbairn worked tirelessly to make our world a better place. She was a very special human being whose actions were rooted in who she was at heart. She was hardworking, determined, and strong.

“Senator Joyce was a trailblazer for women in the fields of communications and politics. She was also a fierce advocate for the underprivileged. A strong promoter of literacy, her leadership was a beacon for generations to follow. We are proud that our school is her namesake, and we will continue to honour her characteristics and spirit as a school,” said DeJong.

On Twitter, the Lethbridge Liberals said “our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.” The party also tweeted that all government buildings and establishments in Lethbridge will have flags at half-mast until sunset on the day of any funeral or memorial service held for the senator.

Devon Hargreaves, who ran for the Liberals here in the last federal election, tweeted “Senator Joyce Fairbairn was an incredible woman who set an exemplary example of public service that can be admired and looked up to by not only Lethbridge, but all of Canada. Her family and friends are in my thoughts.”

Fairbairn, who was born Nov. 6, 1939 at the old Galt Hospital – now the Galt Museum and Archives – was a groundbreaking politician – the first woman to serve as leader of the government in the Senate.

She studied at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute and worked as a teenage journalist at The Herald writing a column called “Teen Chatter.”

According to the Galt Museum archives, she was active in the city in her youth and took part in speech contests and festivals.

After leaving Lethbridge, she graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1960. In 1961, she completed a Bachelor of Journalism degree at Carlton University in Ottawa.

She worked as a journalist in the press gallery in Ottawa – the first woman to achieve that feat – before landing a job as legislative assistant to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1970.

In 1981, she was named communications co-ordinator in the PM’s office. In 1984, Trudeau recommended her appointment as a Liberal senator for her home province in Alberta.

In 1993, after the Liberals returned to power PM Jean Chretien appointed her as Senate government leader and minister with the special responsibility for literacy. She was in cabinet until 1997.

She also helped found and was chair of the Canadian Paralympic Foundation. She was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2011.

She worked in the Senate until Jan. 18, 2013.

Glenn Miller, who served as a driver for Fairbairn when he was stationed here in the military, said Fairbairn was a strong supporter of the Therapeutic Riding Association and at one time sponsored a horse named Dooley with whom she developed a strong relationship.

She had a strong love for horses, said Miller, and was taught to ride properly by an instructor from the RCMP Musical Ride. Her father, a former gunner who fought in World War One, died in a horse-related accident, he said, and her mom wasn’t keen on Joyce getting into a saddle.

Fairbairn had a love of southern Alberta and was a strong advocate for the province, he said.

“She was very friendly and outgoing and very empathetic for listening to people. In parades in southern Alberta, if you listened carefully, people from the sidewalk wouldn’t say ‘hi Senator,’ they’d always say ‘Joyce.’ That’s kind of the relationship she had with the public,” Miller added.

When posted here with the artillery, Miller said she was an honourary lieutenant colonel of the regiment. Then-mayor Carpenter was a full colonel.

Because of her connection to the Galt hospital, Miller said she was able to secure funding from the federal government for the extension of the museum, a condition being before she handed over the cheque she wanted the architects to take into consideration that she wanted to see the coulees, hence the glass wall facing west, he said.

Fairbairn was also an honourary chief of the Blood Tribe, according to Miller.

Darell Pack, who served as parliamentary assistant for the late Conservative MP Blaine Thacker, said “she and Blaine worked across the aisle for the betterment of southern Alberta. When it came to what was in the best interests of the area they represented, politics was set aside.”

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