Mayor Bevilacqua to present Jean Augustine with Key to the City during online event
Image
National
trailblazer recognized for lifelong commitment to diversity, inclusion and
multiculturalism
The community is invited to join the City of Vaughan on Sunday, Oct. 25 to celebrate the Hon. Jean Augustine’s lifelong commitment to public service. An online event at 2 p.m. will include the official presentation of the Key to the City to Ms. Augustine as well as commemorate the naming of the Jean Augustine Complex and the Jean Augustine District Park. Tune in at vaughan.ca/live.
Ms. Augustine is a
passionate educator, lifelong public servant and a national trailblazer. She is
Canada’s first female African Canadian Member of Parliament and Cabinet
Minister.
During a Council
meeting on June 29, 2020, Mayor Maurizio
Bevilacqua announced that Ms. Augustine would be receiving the Key to the City
and that the City will name the Jean Augustine Complex and Jean Augustine
District Park in her honour.
Born in Grenada, Ms.
Augustine immigrated to Canada in 1960. She earned both a bachelor’s and a
master’s degree in education from the University of Toronto. In 1993, Ms.
Augustine was elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of
Etobicoke-Lakeshore, serving four terms until 2006. In 2002, Ms. Augustine was
appointed Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women), and, in
2003, she became Minister of State (Multiculturalism and Status of Women),
later serving as assistant deputy speaker of Parliament until her retirement in
2006.
In 2007,
Ms. Augustine was nominated by the Government of Ontario to become the first
Fairness Commissioner, a position created to advocate for Canadians with
foreign professional credentials. She retired from the position in March 2015.
In 2008, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education was established in the Faculty
of Education at York University. Ms. Augustine also served as the National President
of the Congress of Black Women of Canada. She has received multiple awards and
recognitions for her work. Of note, Ms. Augustine is a Member of the Order of
Canada and a recipient of multiple honorary doctorates. In 2014, Ms. Augustine
was the keynote speaker at the City of Vaughan’s International Women’s Day
event, and, in 2019, met with her former seatmate in the House of Commons, Mayor
Bevilacqua, to discuss issues of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism.
The Key to the City
honour is reserved for distinguished individuals as a recognition for their
contribution in areas of human endeavours, including business, sports, arts and
culture, public service, education and human rights.
QUOTE
“It is with a great deal of
joy and admiration that I look forward to celebrating the legacy and life’s
work of the Honourable Jean Augustine. On Sunday, Oct. 25, she will be bestowed
with the Key to the City of Vaughan and the Jean Augustine Park and Complex
will be named in her honour. With values, principles and beliefs that reflect
the highest standards of public service, Jean Augustine is certainly most deserving
of this recognition. Her story is one of courage, hope and perseverance, and I
am blessed to bear witness to her outstanding achievements. I hope that through
this recognition, more people and future generations will be inspired to follow
in her footsteps. I encourage all citizens to join us online to celebrate Jean’s
remarkable and lasting contributions to Vaughan and Canada.”
- Mayor Maurizio
Bevilacqua
QUICK FACTS
- The Key to the City of Vaughan is presented at the discretion of the Mayor.
- The practice of giving a key can be traced back to medieval times when the gates to walled cities were guarded during the day and locked at night – the key was a sign of freedom as the recipient could enter and leave as a trusted friend.
LEARN
MORE
- June 29, 2020 statement – Mayor Bevilacqua bestows Jean Augustine with the Key to the City
- June 26, 2020 news release – Mayor Bevilacqua to present Jean Augustine with Key to the City
- June 11, 2019 statement – Mayor Bevilacqua meets with Hon. Jean Augustine
- Member’s Resolution (PDF) establishing the Key to the City
- February 2014 news release – Vaughan Celebrates International Women’s Day
- Jean Augustine’s website
-30-