Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

“FAMOUS 5 FOUNDATION”

Date Range From

2009

Date Range To

2010

Materials

GLASS, CARDBOARD, SATIN

No. Pieces

3

Height

5.5

Length

14

Width

12.2

Description

.A – BLUE PAPER-COVERED CARDBOARD BOX WITH MAGNETIZED FLAP CLOSURE ON LID. INSIDE OF LID HAS A SQUARE OF BLACK FOAM GLUED TO IT. INSIDE CAVITY OF BOX IS LINED WITH BLUE SATIN. MINOR WEAR ON OUTSIDE EDGES; OVERALL GOOD CONDITION. 5.5 X 14 X 12.2 .B – SQUARE BLOCK OF CLEAR GLASS WITH BEVELED EDGES INTERIOR ETCHED PORTRAITS OF FIVE WOMEN AND TEXT READING “FAMOUS 5 FOUNDATION”. OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. 9 X 10 X 3.5 .C – RECTANGULAR PIECE OF WHITE CARD FOLDED IN HALF. FRONT HAS EMBOSSED BORDER DESIGN AND IS PRINTED WITH TEXT READING “SENATOR JOYCE FAIRBAIRN”. UPPER LEFT CORNER SLIGHTLY BENT; OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION. 10.75 X 4.5

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

COMMEMORATIVE

History

THIS DESK ORNAMENT 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. IN 2009, SENATOR FAIRBAIRN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE POSTHUMOUS APPOINTMENT OF ALBERTA’S “FAMOUS FIVE” – EMILY MURPHY, NELLIE MCCLUNG, IRENE PARLBY, LOUISE MCKINNEY AND HENRIETTA MUIR EDWARDS – TO THE CANADIAN SENATE AS HONORARY SENATORS. IN HER SPEECH TO SENATE ON THE TOPIC, FAIRBAIRN SAID: “CANADIAN WOMEN WERE LEFT ASIDE AGAINST A SERIES OF STUBBORN LAWS THAT SHUT THE DOOR TO MANY WHO WERE HAVING ENORMOUS DIFFICULTIES TO EVEN VOTE IN ELECTIONS OR RUN AS CANDIDATES, LET ALONE BE OFFERED A PLACE IN THE SENATE. IN 1929, WITH GREAT VIGOR, THE FAMOUS FIVE MANAGED TO PUSH ASIDE THE CURTAINS IN OTTAWA AND FORCE THE EAR OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE DAY. THEIR STUBBORN CAPACITY LED TO AN OPPORTUNITY IN LONDON, ENGLAND, TO FORCE A CHANGE IN THE SENATE OF CANADA TO WELCOME WOMEN FROM EVERY CORNER OF THIS COUNTRY… [WE CAN] HELP PUSH THAT DOOR EVEN FURTHER, AND RESPOND TO A REQUEST FROM THE FAMOUS FIVE FOUNDATION IN CALGARY, ALBERTA, ASKING THE SENATE TO MAKE THOSE FAMOUS FIVE WOMEN HONORARY SENATORS IN CANADIAN HISTORY… WITHOUT THE HISTORIC LEADERSHIP OF [THE FAMOUS FIVE] I COULD NOT BE SITTING IN THE SENATE OF CANADA ALONG WITH SO MANY BRIGHT AND INTERESTING COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS.” 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’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 LIEUTENANT-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. 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 AND A HARDCOPY OF FAIRBAIRN’S FULL SPEECH ON THE FAMOUS FIVE TO THE CANADIAN SENATE.

Catalogue Number

P20140043010

Acquisition Date

2014-10

Collection

Museum

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