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NEWS: Past CLC president, chapter activist Shirley Carr has died

The Canadian Press reports that, “Labour activist Shirley Carr, who became the first woman to lead Canada’s largest labour organization, has died. Carr, who was president of the Canadian Labour Congress from 1986 to 1992, and before that was its executive vice-president, died in Niagara Falls last Thursday at age 81.”

The CBC adds that, “In 1992, Carr was awarded Venezuela’s prestigious Order of Diego de Losada, First Class, for her work against apartheid in South Africa and in defending trade union rights around the world.”

A NUPGE statement notes, “Carr came from a family of Nova Scotians and was fiercely proud of her roots. She first became active in the labour movement in 1960 with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and served in various capacities at the local, provincial, regional and national levels.”

The Canadian Encyclopedia notes, “As CLC president Carr built coalitions with community groups, which reflected a new approach for the Congress.”

That commitment to community groups and civil society continued in her retirement as Ms. Carr was an active and valued member of the Niagara Region chapter of the Council of Canadians.

I had the pleasure of meeting her at a chapter meeting several years ago when I was the Ontario-Quebec organizer, and she was clearly a thoughtful, passionate, tenacious and committed fighter for social justice.

She will be missed.