Sharon Blady
Encyclopedia
Sharon Anne Blady is a Canadian
politician
in the province
of Manitoba
. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
in the 2007 provincial election
in the constituency of Kirkfield Park. Blady is a member of the New Democratic Party
. Prior to her election, she was an instructor
of social work
and native
studies at the University of Manitoba
.
, where she attended Buchanan School, Hedges Junior High School, and Collège Silver Heights Collegiate
. She received a Bachelor of Arts
in anthropology
, art history
, and architecture
from the University of Manitoba
in 1991. She received a Master of Arts
in history in art and native
studies from the University of Victoria
in 1995 with her thesis entitled "The Flower Beadwork People: Factors Contributing to the Emergence of Distinctive Métis Cultural Artistic Style at Red River From 1844 to 1869". In 1996 and 1997, two papers of hers about Métis culture and history were published by the Canadian Circumpolar Institute at the University of Alberta
as part of Issues in the North.
Blady designed and taught introductory courses in gender
and women's studies
and visual and Aboriginal art studies at Brandon University
. She later taught at the University of Manitoba
in its Joint Baccalaureate Nursing program and its Inner City Social Work program.
in the 2007 provincial election
on May 22, 2007. As the New Democratic Party
candidate, she won the traditionally Progressive Conservative
electoral division of Kirkfield Park
with a margin of over 11%.
Blady was appointed minister's assistant for tenant issues to the Minister of Family Services and Consumer Affairs
, Gord Mackintosh
, on June 24, 2010. On April 4, 2011, she was promoted to the position of legislative assistant to the minister. She has also sat on a number of committees of the Legislative Assembly including the Standing Committees on Agriculture and Food (as the vice-chairperson), Crown Corporations (as the chairperson), Legislative Affairs (as the chairperson), Private Bills, Public Accounts, and Social and Economic Development (as the vice-chairperson) and the Special Committee on Senate Reform.
During her first term in the legislature, Blady introduced two private member's bill
s which passed. In 2009, she introduced Bill 238, The Service Animals Protection Act, which made it an offense to interfere with or allow another animal to interfere with guide dog
s or other service animal
s without the permission of its owner. The bill passed third reading on September 23, 2009 and was granted royal assent on October 8, 2009. Through this bill, Manitoba became the first jurisdiction in Canada to specifically legislate the protection of service animals. The legislation has been praised by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission
.
On April 19, 2011, Blady introduced Bill 217, The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Expanded Grounds for Early Termination), which added provisions to The Residential Tenancies Act to allow for the early termination of rental agreements if the tenant faces health issues that prevent them from continuing to live in their current rental unit, if they are in the armed forces and are being relocated, or if they are victims of domestic violence and believe that their safety is at risk if they continue living there. The bill was passed by the house with a unanimous vote at third reading and was assented to on June 16, 2011.
Blady is active in liaising with other legislative bodies on an international level as the President of the Manitoba section of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie and as a member of the Energy Committee of the Midwestern Legislators Conference (part of the Council of State Governments
).
Blady was reelected in the 2011 provincial election
on October 4 with a margin of 21 votes.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
in the 2007 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 2007
The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...
in the constituency of Kirkfield Park. Blady is a member of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
. Prior to her election, she was an instructor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
and native
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
studies at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
.
Early life and career
Blady grew up in the neighbourhood of St. James-Assiniboia in WinnipegWinnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, where she attended Buchanan School, Hedges Junior High School, and Collège Silver Heights Collegiate
Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate
Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate is a dual-track secondary school in the suburban areas of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is part of the St. James-Assiniboia School Division.-History:...
. She received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
, and architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
in 1991. She received a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in history in art and native
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
studies from the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
in 1995 with her thesis entitled "The Flower Beadwork People: Factors Contributing to the Emergence of Distinctive Métis Cultural Artistic Style at Red River From 1844 to 1869". In 1996 and 1997, two papers of hers about Métis culture and history were published by the Canadian Circumpolar Institute at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
as part of Issues in the North.
Blady designed and taught introductory courses in gender
Gender studies
Gender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
and women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
and visual and Aboriginal art studies at Brandon University
Brandon University
Brandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....
. She later taught at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
in its Joint Baccalaureate Nursing program and its Inner City Social Work program.
Political career
Sharon Blady was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of ManitobaLegislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
in the 2007 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 2007
The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...
on May 22, 2007. As the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
candidate, she won the traditionally Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
electoral division of Kirkfield Park
Kirkfield Park
Kirkfield Park is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 1979, and has formally existed since the provincial election of 1981. The riding is located in the westernmost tip of the City of Winnipeg.Kirkfield Park is bordered to the...
with a margin of over 11%.
Blady was appointed minister's assistant for tenant issues to the Minister of Family Services and Consumer Affairs
Minister of Family Services and Consumer Affairs (Manitoba)
The Minister of Family Services and Consumer Affairs is a cabinet minister in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The position was created in 2009, when newly appointed Premier Greg Selinger created a new department of Housing and Community Development and the former Minister of Family Services and...
, Gord Mackintosh
Gord Mackintosh
Gordon Henry Alexander "Gord" Mackintosh is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Greg Selinger....
, on June 24, 2010. On April 4, 2011, she was promoted to the position of legislative assistant to the minister. She has also sat on a number of committees of the Legislative Assembly including the Standing Committees on Agriculture and Food (as the vice-chairperson), Crown Corporations (as the chairperson), Legislative Affairs (as the chairperson), Private Bills, Public Accounts, and Social and Economic Development (as the vice-chairperson) and the Special Committee on Senate Reform.
During her first term in the legislature, Blady introduced two private member's bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
s which passed. In 2009, she introduced Bill 238, The Service Animals Protection Act, which made it an offense to interfere with or allow another animal to interfere with guide dog
Guide dog
Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles.Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are partially color blind and are not capable of interpreting street signs...
s or other service animal
Service animal
Service animals are animals that have been trained to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. Service animals may also be referred to as "assistance animals," "assist animals," "support animals," or "helper animals" depending on country....
s without the permission of its owner. The bill passed third reading on September 23, 2009 and was granted royal assent on October 8, 2009. Through this bill, Manitoba became the first jurisdiction in Canada to specifically legislate the protection of service animals. The legislation has been praised by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission
Manitoba Human Rights Commission
The Manitoba Human Rights Commission is a quasi-judicial arms-length agency of the Government of Manitoba that is responsible for enforcing The Human Rights Code ....
.
On April 19, 2011, Blady introduced Bill 217, The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Expanded Grounds for Early Termination), which added provisions to The Residential Tenancies Act to allow for the early termination of rental agreements if the tenant faces health issues that prevent them from continuing to live in their current rental unit, if they are in the armed forces and are being relocated, or if they are victims of domestic violence and believe that their safety is at risk if they continue living there. The bill was passed by the house with a unanimous vote at third reading and was assented to on June 16, 2011.
Blady is active in liaising with other legislative bodies on an international level as the President of the Manitoba section of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie and as a member of the Energy Committee of the Midwestern Legislators Conference (part of the Council of State Governments
Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments is a nonpartisan non-profit organization in the United States serving the state governments. It serves state legislatures, state courts, and executive branch officials and agencies, and is the only multi-branch organization of state governments in the United...
).
Blady was reelected in the 2011 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 2011
The 40th general election of Manitoba was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. It took place on October 4, 2011, due to the new fixed-date election laws...
on October 4 with a margin of 21 votes.
Electoral record
Publications
- "Beadwork As an Expression of Métis Cultural Identity" in Jill Oakes and Rick Riewe, eds., Issues in the North, Volume I (1996, Edmonton: Canadian Circumpolar Institute, University of Alberta; ISBN 1-896445-02-0)
- "Les Métissess: Towards a Feminist History of Red River" in Jill Oakes and Rick Riewe, eds., Issues in the North, Volume II (1997, Edmonton: Canadian Circumpolar Institute, University of Alberta; ISBN 978-0-919058-87-3)
- Aboriginal Cultural Landscapes, as co-editor (2004, Winnipeg: Aboriginal Issues Press, University of Manitoba; ISBN 9780968613849)