Anne Cools facts for kids

Anne Clare Cools, born on August 12, 1943, is a Canadian who used to be a senator. She was the longest-serving member in the Senate of Canada. Before becoming a senator, Anne Cools was a social worker. She helped protect women from violence at home and even started one of Canada's first shelters for this purpose.

Anne Cools' Early Life and Education

Anne Cools was born and grew up in Barbados. Her father, Lucius Unique Cools, was a pharmacist. Her mother, Rosita Gordon Miller Cools, owned a sugar plantation. Both her grandfather and an uncle were involved in politics in Barbados.

When she was four years old, Anne sadly lost two of her siblings. She went to Queen's College Girls School in Barbados. In 1957, when Anne was 13, her family moved to Canada. She studied at Thomas D'Arcy McGee High School in Montreal. Later, she earned a degree in social sciences, sociology, and psychology from McGill University.

Anne Cools is married to Rolf Calhoun, a business consultant. She enjoys classical music, playing the piano, reading, gardening, and spending time with dogs.

Anne Cools' First Jobs

Early in her career, Anne Cools worked as a student coordinator. She was in charge of supervising students and training them to become social workers. She worked at the University of Toronto from 1978 to 1978. She also worked at Ryerson Polytechnic Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University) from 1978 to 1980. From 1977 to 1989, she was employed at Seneca College.

Anne Cools' Advocacy Work

Anne Cools has always been a strong voice for important causes.

Fighting Racism

In February 1969, Anne Cools took part in a 13-day civil disobedience protest. This event, known as the Sir George Williams affair, happened at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University). Over 400 students occupied the computer center. They were protesting how the school handled complaints of racism against a professor.

Anne Cools was one of 97 students arrested. Unlike most, she refused to say she was guilty to be set free. Instead, she spent two months in jail. In 1981, the National Parole Board of Canada officially pardoned her.

Supporting Children's Rights

Cools is a strong supporter of children's rights. She believes that after parents divorce, children should keep having relationships with both their mothers and fathers. She also stresses how important fathers are for a child's growth.

In the 1990s, Cools played a key role in creating a special committee. This was the Senate and House Special Joint Committee on Child Custody and Access. In December 1998, this committee released its report, For the Sake of the Children. A main idea from this report was that after parents separate, sharing parenting duties should be considered best for the child.

She openly disagreed with the Liberal government of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. This happened when a new law about child custody was put aside. This was after many women's groups spoke out against it.

Views on Feminism

While Anne Cools strongly supports women and victims of domestic violence, she has also shared her thoughts on some parts of the feminist movement.

Community Involvement

Besides her work as a social worker, Anne Cools was active in many community groups. She was on the Board of Directors for the Black Education Project. This group worked to fix racial unfairness in Toronto's education system. She also served on the board of Black Theatre Canada, the Pauline McGibbon Cultural Centre, and the Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto.

Anne Cools' Political Journey

National Parole Board

From 1980 to 1984, Anne Cools worked on the National Parole Board of Canada. This board decides if federal prisoners can be released early.

Running for the House of Commons

She tried twice to be elected to the House of Commons of Canada. She ran as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada. In 1978, she lost the Liberal nomination in a close race. This was for a special election in Rosedale. A 1979 film called The Right Candidate for Rosedale showed her campaign. She ran again in 1979 and won the nomination. However, she was defeated in both the 1979 and 1980 elections. She lost to Progressive Conservative candidate David Crombie.

Becoming a Canadian Senator

In 1984, Anne Cools was appointed to the Senate of Canada. This appointment was made by Governor General Edward Schreyer. It was based on the suggestion of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. With this, she became the first black person to serve in the Canadian Senate. She chose to represent the Senate division of Toronto-Centre-York.

Over time, Cools became more critical of the Liberal governments. These were led by Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin. She also expressed her views on same-sex marriage. On June 9, 2004, she announced she was changing parties. She joined the Conservative Party of Canada.

In late 2006, Cools was removed from her committee duties for the Conservative Party. This happened after she questioned a new government bill about accountability. In 2007, Cools was removed from the Conservative party group. This followed her claims that two fellow senators had grabbed and assaulted her. She also mentioned seeing a senator hit a child. She then served as a Senator who was not part of any party from 2007 until 2017. In 2017, she joined the Independent Senators Group.

From September 26, 2011, until her own retirement on August 12, 2018, Anne Cools was the longest-serving member of the Senate. She is also known as the first female black Senator in North America. After Senator Charlie Watt retired, Cools was the last Senator still serving who had been appointed by Pierre Trudeau.

See also

• Canadian titles debate
• Lists of Canadian senators
• List of Ontario senators
• Ninth Floor, documentary about the 1969 sit-in