Catherine Callbeck facts for kids

Catherine Sophia Callbeck (born July 25, 1939) is a Canadian politician who is now retired. She is currently the ninth Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island.

She made history as the 28th premier of Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 1996. She was the third woman to become a premier in Canada. She was also the first female premier to win a general election. Later, she served as a member of the Senate of Canada from 1997 until she retired in 2014.

Early Life and Education

Catherine Callbeck was born in Central Bedeque, Prince Edward Island. Her parents were Ralph R. Callbeck and Ruth Campbell. She studied business and education at university.

• She earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mount Allison University in 1960.
• She received a Bachelor of Education degree from Dalhousie University in 1962.
• She also took advanced business courses at Syracuse University.

Before entering politics, Callbeck worked as a business teacher. She taught in New Brunswick and Ontario. Later, she returned to Prince Edward Island to work in her family's retail business.

Starting in Politics

Catherine Callbeck began her political journey with the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party.

First Time as an MLA

In 1974, she was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island. This meant she became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). She was then appointed to the Cabinet.

In the Cabinet, she held important roles:

• Minister of Health and Social Services.
• Minister Responsible for Disabled Persons.

She decided not to run for re-election in 1978. She wanted to focus on her family's business at that time.

Serving in the Federal Parliament

Callbeck returned to politics in 1988. She was elected to the federal House of Commons. This made her a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Liberal Party of Canada. She represented the area of Malpeque.

During her time as an MP, Callbeck worked on several important committees. She also took on different roles for the Liberal Party. These roles involved looking closely at government actions.

Becoming Premier of Prince Edward Island

In January 1993, Catherine Callbeck decided to return to provincial politics. She successfully ran to become the leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party. On January 25, she was appointed Premier.

A Historic Election Win

Under her leadership, the Liberal Party won the provincial election in 1993. This was a very important moment. It made her the first female leader of a political party in Canada to win a general election. She also won her own seat in the election.

Women in Leadership

During Callbeck's time as Premier, many top positions in Prince Edward Island were held by women.

• Elizabeth II was the Queen of Prince Edward Island.
• Marion Reid was the Lieutenant Governor.
• Patricia Mella was the Leader of the Official Opposition.

Also, two senior roles in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island were held by women:

• Nancy Guptill was the Speaker.
• Elizabeth Hubley was the Deputy Speaker.

Key Achievements as Premier

Callbeck's time in office saw many positive changes for Prince Edward Island.

Economic Growth and Jobs

The economy grew quickly between 1993 and 1996. This was thanks to new investments in:

• Food processing
• Manufacturing
• Aerospace
• Information technology

Prince Edward Island had the second-highest economic growth rate in Canada. More people were working than ever before. The number of people without jobs dropped by seven percent. This was the biggest drop in any Canadian province.

Managing the Budget

When Callbeck became Premier, the province had a very large budget deficit. This means the government was spending much more money than it was taking in. Her government worked hard to fix this.

By 1995–96, her government achieved a budget surplus. This means they took in more money than they spent. It was the first budget surplus in ten years. This was achieved by a stronger economy and careful spending.

Important Reforms

Her government also made several important changes:

• Waste Management: A new project made Prince Edward Island a leader in Canada for reducing waste.
• Electricity Costs: A new agreement with New Brunswick lowered electricity prices.
• Government Structure: They reduced the number of government departments and agencies.
• Municipalities: Smaller towns were combined to reduce duplicated services.
• Electoral System: The way elections were held changed. This was the first major change in over a century.

Confederation Bridge

The building of the Confederation Bridge began during Callbeck's time. This bridge connects Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick. When she took office, the project was stuck. She worked with the federal government to solve the problems. This led to the biggest construction project in the province's history.

Resignation as Premier

Catherine Callbeck resigned in October 1996. She had been Premier for three and a half years. After her resignation, the Liberal party lost the next provincial election. They did not return to power until the 2007 election.

Serving as a Senator

On September 22, 1997, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien appointed Callbeck to the Senate of Canada. The Senate is part of Canada's Parliament.

She served on many important committees in the Senate. She also started a study on post-secondary education. This was the first such study in over 20 years.

In January 2014, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau announced a change. All Liberal senators would become independent. This meant they were no longer part of the main Liberal group in Parliament. Catherine Callbeck retired from the Senate in July 2014. She reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Chancellor of UPEI

On September 29, 2018, Catherine Callbeck was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI). The Chancellor is a ceremonial head of the university. She is the ninth person to hold this role at UPEI.

Awards and Recognition

Catherine Callbeck has received several important awards for her service.

• In 2015, she was named a member of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest honors.
• In 2017, she became a member of the Order of PEI.
• She also has honorary degrees from Mount Allison University and the University of Prince Edward Island.

See also

• List of female first ministers in Canada