Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

“JOYCE FAIRBAIRN – LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT”

Date Range From

1970

Date Range To

1984

Materials

STONE, METAL, CORK

No. Pieces

1

Height

2

Length

10

Width

6.5

Description

RECTANGULAR BLOCK OF LIGHT GREY STONE WITH ENGRAVED GOLD-COLOURED METAL PLATE ATTACHED TO TOP SURFACE. TEXT ON PLATE READS “JOYCE FAIRBAIRN – LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT – L’ADJOINTE LEGISLATIVE – OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER – CABINET DU PREMIER MINISTRE –OTTAWA”. BOTTOM OF BLOCK HAS THREE ROUND PIECES OF CORK GLUED AT THE CORNERS AND GLUE RESIDUE AT THE FOURTH CORNER. MINOR CHIPS AND WEAR ALONG EDGES OF BLOCK; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

DOCUMENTARY ARTIFACT

Historical Association

POLITICS

History

THIS DESK NAME BLOCK WAS DONATED AS PART OF THE PERSONAL EFFECTS COLLECTED BY SENATOR JOYCE FAIRBAIRN (PC, CM) OVER HER NEARLY THREE DECADES AS A LIBERAL SENATOR FOR THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA. THIS WAS THE NAME BLOCK THAT SAT ON FAIRBAIRN’S DESK IN OTTAWA FROM 1970 – 1984 WHILE SHE WORKED AS PRIME MINISTER TRUDEAU’S LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT AND COMMUNICATIONS CO-ORDINATOR. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHY OF FAIRBAIRN WAS DEVELOPED BY GALT ARCHIVES INTERN KARISSA PATTON FOR THE 2013 EXHIBIT ‘GALT BABY TO SENATOR’: JOYCE FAIRBAIRN WAS BORN AT THE GALT HOSPITAL ON NOVEMBER 6, 1939. SHE GREW UP IN LETHBRIDGE WHERE SHE GOT HER FIRST EXPERIENCE AS A JOURNALIST AT THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD WHILE SHE WAS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL. FAIRBAIRN EARNED A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN ENGLISH FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IN 1960. FAIRBAIRN THEN LEFT LETHBRIDGE TO ATTEND CARLETON UNIVERSITY IN OTTAWA, ONTARIO WHERE SHE EARNED A BACHELOR OF JOURNALISM IN 1961. AFTER GRADUATION, FAIRBAIRN BEGAN WORKING FOR THE HERALD’S OTTAWA BUREAU, THE OTTAWA JOURNAL, AND UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL IN THE PARLIAMENTARY PRESS GALLERY. FAIRBAIRN WAS KNOWN AS ONE OF THE FIRST “FEMALE NEWSMEN.” SHE WORKED AS A JOURNALIST IN OTTAWA FROM 1961-1970 AND WAS THE FIRST JOURNALIST TO REPORT ON THE NEW CANADIAN FLAG SELECTION AS WELL AS COVERED JACKIE KENNEDY AND PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S VISIT TO OTTAWA IN 1961. THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD PROUDLY CONTINUED TO PUBLISH HER WORK FROM 1965-1969. IN 1970 FAIRBAIRN BECAME THE LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT AND, LATER, THE COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR FOR PRIME MINISTER PIERRE TRUDEAU. FAIRBAIRN WORKED WITH TRUDEAU UNTIL 1984 WHEN SHE WAS APPOINTED TO THE SENATE. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN QUICKLY BECAME KNOWN FOR ATTENDING SOUTHERN ALBERTAN MILESTONES, OPENINGS, CELEBRATIONS, AND EVEN THE OCCASIONAL CAKE DECORATING CONTEST. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN BECAME WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ALBERTA BECAUSE, AS ONE CONSTITUENT COMMENTED, “SHE CARED ENOUGH TO COME”. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN ALSO BECAME INVOLVED WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND CAUSES SUCH AS, THE PARALYMPICS, THE CALGARY STAMPEDE, BOOKS FOR BABIES, AND THE ALBERTA BIRDS OF PREY CENTRE. FAIRBAIRN WAS PRESENT FOR CELEBRATIONS IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA SUCH AS, LETHBRIDGE’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, WHOOP UP DAYS, AND MANY UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE CONVOCATIONS. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WAS ALSO AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION WHERE SHE ADOPTED A HORSE NAMED “DOOLEY”. IN 2008 THE LETHBRIDGE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ASSOCIATION HONOURED SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WITH A LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP. SENATOR FAIRBAIRN’S DEVOTION TO CANADA AND THE SOUTHERN ALBERTAN COMMUNITY WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED BY MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. IN 1990 SHE WAS INAUGURATED INTO THE KAINAI CHIEFTAINSHIP, WHERE SHE RECEIVED THE NAME CHIEF MORNING BIRD WOMAN. FAIRBAIRN WAS ALSO MADE AN HONOURARY COLONEL OF THE 18TH AIR DEFENSE REGIMENT, RCA. SHE WAS ALSO MADE A HONOURARY AIR MARSHAL AND FREQUENTLY ATTENDED THE INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW AT LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. IN ADDITION, SHE WAS AWARDED WITH A HONOURARY DOCTORATE OF LAWS BY THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE IN 2004. WHILE FAIRBAIRN WAS KNOWN FOR BEING PRESENT IN THE SOUTHERN ALBERTAN COMMUNITY SHE WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR HER MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN PARLIAMENT. HER CAREER AS SENATOR BEGAN AS THE VICE-CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL LIBERAL CAUCUS AND THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN LIBERAL CAUCUS UNTIL 1991 WHEN SHE WAS APPOINTED CO-CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE. BY 1993 SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WAS APPOINTED TO PRIVY COUNCIL AS THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD THE POSITION OF LEADER OF GOVERNMENT. SHE ALSO BECAME THE FIRST MINISTER WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR LITERACY. IN 1997 SHE WAS APPOINTED THE SPECIAL ADVISOR ON LITERACY TO THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CANADA. IN ADDITION, SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MAKING THE FAMOUS FIVE HONOURARY SENATORS AND ERECTING A HONOURARY STATUE CELEBRATING THE FAMOUS FIVE ON PARLIAMENT HILL. SENATOR JOYCE FAIRBAIRN RETIRED FROM THE SENATE ON JANUARY 18, 2013. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

Catalogue Number

P20140043002

Acquisition Date

2014-10

Collection

Museum

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