- Laura Sabia
Laura Sabia (
September 18 1916 –October 17 1996 ) was a Canadian social activist andfeminist .Born Laura Villela in
Montreal, Quebec , the daughter of Italian immigrants, she played an important part, as National Chair of the Committee for the Equality of Women, in the creation of theRoyal Commission on the Status of Women called by Prime MinisterLester B. Pearson in February 1967. She was a founding member and, from 1969 to 1973, the first President of theNational Action Committee on the Status of Women . She was an alderwoman inSt. Catharines, Ontario . She also wrote columns for "The Toronto Sun ".Sabia was a two-time candidate for the
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada . She finished second in the riding of St. Catharines, Ontario, losing by less than 4,000 votes, and came in third in a 1981by-election in the Toronto riding of Spadina losing by 1,005 votes.In 1974, she was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada "for her devoted service to the cause of the status of women". [http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=1493] In 1983, she was awarded the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case.She was married to Michael Sabia and had two children: Mary-Michaele and Michael John, head of
Bell Canada Enterprises .References
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*CUM IN MY MOUTHExternal links
* [http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-73-86-411/politics_economy/status_women/clip2 CBC.ca March 28, 1967 Television broadcast: Canadian feminists fight for change]
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