The Canada Health Act is the cornerstone of Canada’s Medicare system. It’s the federal statute that grants federal money to the provincial health system, on terms that make health care in Canada portable, accessible and universal.
The woman who shepherded it through Parliament was Monique Bégin, the Minister of Health in Pierre Trudeau’s Cabinet.
She was one of the first three women elected to the House of Commons from Quebec.
She died this weekend, aged 87.
Before politics, at age 31, she was the executive secretary on the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, which reported in the late 60s and was groundbreaking in its recognition of the need for women’s equality in government and in society.
After politics, madame Bégin had a well-established career in academe.
She was named to the Order of Canada in recognition of her life-time of public service.
RIP, Madame, and thank you.