Melange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2020 | Page 73

Panel Discussion
with young Grenadian Entrepreneurs conducted by
Honourable
Dr. Jean Augustine P.C., C.M., C.B.E.
Jean immigrated to
Canada in 1960 through
the Government of
Canada’s West Indian
Domestic Scheme, a program
that enlisted women aged 18
to 35 with a minimum of eighth
grade education to work as
nannies for a year in exchange
for landed immigrant status.
After her year working as a
nanny Jean enrolled in Teachers
College and embarked on a
successful career.
By 1988 when Jean left teaching
she was a principal in the TDCS.
In 1967 Jean served on the
committee that helped organize
the first Caribana festival. In
1973 she founded the Toronto
chapter of the Congress of
Black Women of Canada, later
becoming national president.
Jean left teaching to be the chair
of the Metro Toronto Housing
Authority where she remained
until 1993 when she entered
politics.
In 1993 Jean Augustine
was elected to the House
of Commons, the first black
woman ever. From 1993-
96 she was Jean Chretien’s
Parliamentary Secretary.
In 1995 Jean put a motion
before Parliament to recognize
February as Black History
Month nationwide; the motion
was passed unanimously in
December 1995. In 2002, Jean
was appointed Secretary of
State (Multiculturalism) (Status
of Women) making her the first
black woman to achieve a post
in Cabinet. In 2003 Jean was
appointed Minister of State
(Multiculturalism and Status of
Women); and years later would
become Deputy Speaker.
In 2007, after Jean had retired
from parliament, the Ontario
Government appointed her
the province’s first Fairness
Commissioner. In this role
Jean influenced hundreds
of improvements made to
licensing procedures in Ontario
– improvements that made
the process easier to navigate,
more transparent and impartial
for qualified foreign-trained
professionals. After eight years
at the helm of OFC, Augustine
retired in March 2015. In
2002 she was selected to be a
member of the Queen’s Privy
Council of Canada and in 2009
she was made a member of the
Order of Canada. In 2014 Jean
was appointed Commander of
the Order of the British Empire.
In 2008, The Jean Augustine
Chair in Education, Community
& Diaspora opened at York
University to help advance
education, equity and
inclusiveness. The following
years have brought the
launch of the Jean Augustine
Girls' Leadership Academy
in Scarborough; the Jean
Augustine Centre for Young
Women's Empowerment in
Toronto; and in 2017, the brand
new state-of-the-art Jean
Augustine Secondary School in
Brampton.
www.jeanaugustine.ca