Former politician Jean Augustine gets Brampton school named after her
'Absolute honour to have a Peel secondary school named for me,' Augustine says
Canadian social justice advocate and politician Jean Augustine's name will grace Peel District School Board's (PDSB) newest secondary school.
Jean Augustine Secondary School, which is located in Brampton, is scheduled to open its doors September 2016.
"Jean Augustine is a passionate, energetic social justice advocate who will serve as an exemplary role model for our future leaders," Janet McDougald, the board's chair, said in a statement after PDSB chose the name Tuesday night. "Her ground-breaking work as an educator and politician in Canada strongly connects to the school's vision of SAIL — service, activism, innovation and leadership."
A former principal, Augustine said she is honoured to have a school named after her.
"I have dedicated my life's work to these SAIL principles, and I'm excited to see how they will inspire future generations to engage in the affairs of their community and the world," she said.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PeelSchools">@peelschools</a> Peel DSB approves name of our newest sec school - Jean Augustine SS, to open in Sept 2016. We are honoured <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JeanAugustine?src=hash">#JeanAugustine</a>
—@PDSB_DirectorAugustine became the first black Canadian woman to be elected to the House of Commons, sitting in Parliament from 1993 until 2006. During this period, she served as parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, minister of state for multiculturalism and the status of women, and was a deputy Speaker.
In 2007, she was appointed as the first fairness commissioner for Ontario, a position created to advocate for Canadians with foreign professional credentials. She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and in 2012 received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Augustine is also the former national president of the Congress of Black Women of Canada, and was instrumental in the declaration of February as Black History Month in Canada.