Retirement dinner proves Thelma is loved

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Thelma Chalifoux retired from Canada's Senate Feb. 8 because she reached the mandatory age of retirement-75. She was the first Aboriginal woman and the first Metis person to sit in that august body in Ottawa, and occupied a seat there since 1997.

Chalifoux may be taking a step back from politics, but judging from her retirement dinner on Feb. 23 in Edmonton, she is still going to be a force to be reckoned with, said long-time friend Irene Morin, band manager of Enoch Cree Nation, host of the dinner where more than 150 people gathered to pay tribute to Chalifoux.

Guests included Senator Tommy Banks, Enoch First Nation Chief Roland Morin, and Eva Stang, the Aboriginal liaison co-ordinator of NAIT. Also on hand were representatives from Siksika; the vice-president of the Metis Nation of Alberta; Trevor Gladue, and Robert Coulter, Chalifoux's eldest son. All made speeches about Chalifoux's contribution to politics.

The evening included a toast to the senator, presentations of gifts, which included blankets, paintings and an eagle feather, as well as a fiddler's jam session.

With a grin and no nonsense stare Chalifoux said that she expects to be around for the next 15 years.

"I pray a lot and it is the prayers, the hope and the support that we in Alberta have for our senators that goes a long way," she said.

Also in attendance were Senators Nick Taylor and Douglas Roche and Anne McLellan, deputy prime minister and minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

McLellan said it was a pleasure to work with Chalifoux, who she will remember for her great courage on issues that mattered to many people. McLellan said Chalifoux would often come to the Senate and make clear that she was going to be a spokesperson on issues that were of key importance to her and Aboriginal people. McLellan went on to say Chalifoux was a role model, whether for the very young or old, Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal, man or woman. "In your life you never met a challenge you did not stare down," McLellan said.

"You were never knocked off course, regardless of things that came your way. So, on behalf of myself, the Prime Minister and the entire government of Canada, I just want to say it was a great pleasure to work with you. And I still look forward to working with you because I have a funny feeling, Thelma, that on these many issues that you care about, we are going to continue to work on them together in the years ahead," she said.

In her speech, Chalifoux said she was honored as a woman, an Aboriginal, a mother and a grandmother to have been part of government. Through her nine years there, she said when people were suffering and had no one to go to, she felt compelled to take on their issues and to watch out for them.

"I never really did anything for the people by myself, but I showed them how to do it themselves, which I think is really important. I'm very humbled that I was in Parliament and it was my responsibility to make sure that people who did not have a voice and people who were not heard were listened to. I believe that this is the role of a Senator," she said.

"I just want to say that there is always a positive side to things and a negative side to things, and no matter how bad things are you can make it; as long as you think positive."

Chalifoux promised that although she is no longer a Senator, she would still be active in the Aboriginal community as an advocate on Aboriginal issues.