Birthday Girl Jean Augustine at the party with Jasmin Dooh (centre) of LAMP CHC, and former Parkdale head librarian Rita Cox. Courtesy photo.
Happy Birthday Jean Augustine and may you live to see many more!
Friends and family members gathered on September 6 to celebrate the 88th birthday of former Etobicoke MP and Dr. Jean Augustine in a party at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre.
The evening was part of the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival’s 20th anniversary and featured three inspiring short films and a performance by Pan Fantasy Steelband.
A Jean Augustine Excellence Award was presented to Steelpan Ambassador Wendy Jones, followed by a toast to Augustine.
Poster issued for Jean Augustine’s 88th birthday.
The former politician and community activist said she was happy to be alive and to have helped hundreds of girls as founder of the Jean Augustine Centre for the Empowerment of Young Women, based on Portland Street.
She is also active in the community and still appears at many public events.
Augustine in 1993 became the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons, as the MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, a riding she was re-elected to three times.
Former MP Jean Augustine in front of park named after her at Humber Bay Shores.
She held a number of portfolios in Ottawa, including as Parliamentary Secretary to then Prime Minister Jean Chretien; Minister of Multiculturalism and the Status of Women; Chair of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade committee; Chair of the Human Rights Committee, three-time Chair of the National Women’s Caucus.
The long-time South Etobicke resident was instrumental for her work in Parliament in having February designated as Black History Month in Canada.
Augustine in 2007 was appointed by the province as the first Fairness Commissioner, to advocate for Canadians with foreign professional credentials.
For her distinguished service, she has a Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora named after her at York University, in addition to a secondary school in Peel Region and a park in Humber Bay Shores bearing her name.