Sheila Fougere
Encyclopedia
Sheila Fougere is a Canadian politician. She was the first woman elected to Halifax Regional
Council and has served as the Councillor for District 14, Connaught-Quinpool since 1998.
and the University of North Texas
. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation Administration from Dalhousie and a Certificate in Municipal Governing from Henson College of Public Affairs.
Prior to entering politics, Fougere worked in the 1980s as Manager of Conference Services and concurrently as Manager of Off-campus Housing at Dalhousie. In 1989 she worked as Marketing Coordinator for Where Magazine and then left full-time employment to be a stay at home mother to her two children. Over the next several years, she worked on a variety of part-time and contract projects in her capacity as a meeting and special event planner.
In 1995 she was hired by the Province of Nova Scotia
to coordinate the role of several hundred volunteers for the G-7 Summit. That same year she was hired by Oxford School to develop and coordinate special programs for the school's 300 junior high school students - a project she continued for two and a half years. She worked as a Red Cross Certified First Aid and Basic Life Support instructor for four years. Throughout her adult life she has served in a variety of capacities with numerous community, professional and sport organizations.
She is the recipient of the Halifax Cornwallis Progress Club Women of Excellence Award for Management and the Professions and the Dalhousie University Charles Ballem Award for Exemplary Leadership in the Field of Recreation.
Sheila Fougere is married and has two adult children. She is an avid reader, a soccer player and veteran soccer coach. She plays the trumpet and piano. She has travelled extensively on four continents.
In her years as Councillor she held positions on a variety of committees dealing with issues including: economic development, natural gas distribution, emergency measures, education funding, heritage, solid waste, pensions, and special events.
In 2004 Fougere ran for the Canadian House of Commons
as the candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada
in Halifax
, but lost to Alexa McDonough
of the New Democratic Party
. Fougere received 17,267 votes to McDonough's 18,341.
On November 3, 2007, Fougere announced that she would be running for the office of Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality in the 2008 election.
She received 41,333 votes, while the incumbent Peter Kelly received 57,938 votes and David Boyd received 1,791 votes. [www.halifax.ca]
Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Regional Municipality had a 2006 census population of 372,679, while the metropolitan area had a 2010 estimated population of 403,188, and the urban area of Halifax had a population of 282,924...
Council and has served as the Councillor for District 14, Connaught-Quinpool since 1998.
Background
born in 1957 Fougere is a native Haligonian, she attended both Dalhousie UniversityDalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
and the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Recreation Administration from Dalhousie and a Certificate in Municipal Governing from Henson College of Public Affairs.
Prior to entering politics, Fougere worked in the 1980s as Manager of Conference Services and concurrently as Manager of Off-campus Housing at Dalhousie. In 1989 she worked as Marketing Coordinator for Where Magazine and then left full-time employment to be a stay at home mother to her two children. Over the next several years, she worked on a variety of part-time and contract projects in her capacity as a meeting and special event planner.
In 1995 she was hired by the Province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to coordinate the role of several hundred volunteers for the G-7 Summit. That same year she was hired by Oxford School to develop and coordinate special programs for the school's 300 junior high school students - a project she continued for two and a half years. She worked as a Red Cross Certified First Aid and Basic Life Support instructor for four years. Throughout her adult life she has served in a variety of capacities with numerous community, professional and sport organizations.
She is the recipient of the Halifax Cornwallis Progress Club Women of Excellence Award for Management and the Professions and the Dalhousie University Charles Ballem Award for Exemplary Leadership in the Field of Recreation.
Sheila Fougere is married and has two adult children. She is an avid reader, a soccer player and veteran soccer coach. She plays the trumpet and piano. She has travelled extensively on four continents.
Political life
Fougere was first elected as Halifax Regional Councillor for District 14, Connaught-Quinpool, in 1998.In her years as Councillor she held positions on a variety of committees dealing with issues including: economic development, natural gas distribution, emergency measures, education funding, heritage, solid waste, pensions, and special events.
In 2004 Fougere ran for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as the candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in Halifax
Halifax (electoral district)
Halifax is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1867.Since October 14, 2008, its Member of the Parliament has been Megan Leslie of the New Democratic Party....
, but lost to Alexa McDonough
Alexa McDonough
Alexa Ann Shaw McDonough OC is a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's leader in 1980...
of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
. Fougere received 17,267 votes to McDonough's 18,341.
On November 3, 2007, Fougere announced that she would be running for the office of Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality in the 2008 election.
She received 41,333 votes, while the incumbent Peter Kelly received 57,938 votes and David Boyd received 1,791 votes. [www.halifax.ca]