Mentors

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  Public Policy and Fund Development Consultant, Saskatoon and San Francisco
  
   


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  Saskatoon City Councillor, 1979-1991 and 2006 to present
  
   


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  Former MLA, Saskatoon, 1991-2003
  
   


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  Board member, Sask Water and Sask Film
  
   


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  Past member of Saskatoon City Hospital Board and Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission
  
   


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  Founding member of Saskatoon's Fringe Festival
  
   


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  B.A. (Biology and Psychology-Honors) and M.A. (Clinical Psychology), University of Saskatchewan

Alice Wong is an educator, entrepreneur and an active community leader. She moved to Canada from Hong Kong in 1980 and is currently a resident of Richmond.

While teaching ESL and then entrepreneurship at Vancouver Community College and assisting her husband in his family business, she continued her studies at UBC and obtained her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in 1993. Alice joined Kwantlen University College (now Kwantlen Polytechnic University) in 1998 and became the Manager of International Programs until October 2006.

She started the Centre for Small Business at VCC, which offered the first bilingual small business management classes for immigrants, of which many of the participants have become successful and award winning entrepreneurs.

Alice has been happily married to her husband, Enoch, for over 28 years. They have been working hard to serve other families, especially those who are disadvantaged or in need. Together with Enoch, Alice started their own business, and has been operating a consulting firm specializing in research and education since 1994.

Alice has served in many different boards including: the Rosewood Manor in Richmond, Rotary Club of Richmond, Benevolent Relief Seniors Care Society, Ethno Business Council, Chiu Chow Benevolent Association, and the Women’s Enterprise Society of BC. She is a guest host of current affairs programs on local Chinese and Multicultural radio and television.

Alice has been actively promoting and solving issues concerning the people in Richmond. Alice recently founded the Richmond Greenspace Society, for the promotion of greenspace usage in Richmond – especially in a time when Richmond is increasingly urbanized. Alice has been active in the field of public safety. She was part of a group that raised awareness of community safety for women, which came up as a result of the release of the so-called “balcony rapist” from prison.

On the issue of passports, Alice surveyed the needs of Richmond residents and brought their concerns about the effectiveness of the passport office to the government in 2007. Consequently, operations at the passport office have vastly improved, including moving the office to a larger space and providing better services for seniors and disabled people, and effective next year, the passport will be renewable for 10 years (compared to 5 years today).

Alice has worked to protect pedestrians, especially seniors, on traffic crossings and also promoted traffic safety. She raised funds and purchased neon-coloured stripes which can be easily worn over the shoulders and distributed them to seniors – giving car drivers better visibility of the people crossing the street.

Alice was involved in helping the victims of plane crash on Saba road (the Rosario Gardens Condominium), and also involved in raising funds for earthquake relief for the people in Sichuan province in China.

On October 14, 2008, Alice Wong was elected to the House of Commons in Richmond.

·         Heather is currently serving her fifth term as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Fish Creek.

·         Currently serves as the Chair of the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund, as well as a member of the Private Bills Committee and the Committee on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing. 

·         In 2007, Heather led the Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force. What she heard— crime touches too many lives, drugs and alcohol are the heart of many crimes, the current criminal justice system is not working.

·         Heather has served as both Solicitor General and as Minister of Children’s Services where she has always devoted her considerable energies to promoting children’s interests and focusing on building strong families and communities.

·         Launched the high-risk offender website;

·         Establishing the country’s first Amber Alert program;

·         Brought forward the Integrated Response to Organized Crime (IROC) initiative, among others.

·         Introduced groundbreaking legislation to protect drug-endangered children (DECA), the first law of its kind to be passed in Canada.

·         Partnered with Microsoft to create the Bad Guy Patrol, a website dedicated to teaching children Internet safety and also worked on many initiatives concerning bullying and family violence.

·         She is best known for championing the issue of child prostitution, which resulted in the Protection of Children Involved in Prostitution Act (PCHIP), the first of its kind in Canada to recognize that children engaged in prostitution are victims of sexual abuse and require protection.

·         She brought forward, and had passed, a private member’s bill to provide the right of court-ordered access of grandparents to their grandchildren.

·         Reader’s Digest named Heather a Canadian Hero in 2002.

·         One of her most treasured honours was being bestowed the Blackfoot name Aahsoikinnah-kaiki, which means healing woman.

Heather is an avid reader, likes to golf and garden in her spare time. She also enjoys spending time with her husband Gordon and family.

Diane Marie Colley-Urquhart brings a wealth of community, charitable, corporate and small business experience to her public service role. After receiving her BSc in Health and Human Services, Diane has had nearly a 40 year registered nursing career and has ran her own small businesses. She has held senior management and teaching positions in Emergency, Intensive Trauma and Cardiac Care with Foothills Hospital, the U of A Hospital, Beverly Care Centre, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, Kids Help Phone and Westhampton Management Ltd. Diane’s career and expertise has significantly impacted the work that she does on behalf of the citizens of Calgary.  She continues to work occasionally as a Nurse Specialist at the Calgary Chronic Pain Center and with Alberta Health Services.

Diane has served on Calgary City Council since 2000. She provides solid representation with integrity, offers informed opinions, and challenges others to engage in critical debate on key issues – she listens, takes action and gets things done.  Diane's energetic commitment to citizen engagement is evidenced by her numerous community forums and round tables to ensure ongoing relevant dialogue and interaction with Calgarians.  Her determination to build community partnerships is evidenced in a variety of ways, such as initiating the Ward 13 President’s Council, the Land Use & Mobility Advisory Council, the Telework & Carpooling Initiative, the Stop Marihuana Grow Ops Coalition, roundtables on racism & discrimination, a smoke-free Calgary, the Deerfoot Trail Safety Audit, and the Calgary Transit Public Safety Audit.

Volunteerism has also been at the heart of everything that Diane has done in giving back to the community and inspiring others to get involved. She has canvassed and volunteered for numerous organizations such as the World Police Fire Games, Calgary Police Interpretive Center, Calgary Crime Stoppers, the Alzheimer’s Society & Calgary Handibus. She also volunteered on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Committee in Wichita, Kansas, served as President of the Alberta P.C. Women’s Association, Vice-President of the National P.C. Women’s Federation, Alberta Vice-President of the P.C. Party of Canada, Co- Chaired the Kim Campbell Leadership Committee for Southern Alberta, and served as President of the Calgary Glenmore P.C. Association.  Diane is currently President of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s SW riding association. 

In 1992, Diane was honoured as a recipient of the Governor General's Commemorative Medal for community service.  In 2005, Diane was again honoured with the Alberta Centennial Medal for her work in diversity and human rights initiatives. In partnership with Mayor Bronconnier, Diane was instrumental in developing a Military Leave Policy for the City of Calgary which is leading best practice across the country in supporting Reservists in the Canadian Forces.  In 2008, as the STOP MGO Coalition Chair, Diane received the Minister’s Municipal Honorable Mention Award of Excellence.  In 2008, through Diane’s efforts, Calgary Economic Development was successful in obtaining nearly $1m for the Regional Telework Initiative from the Federal government ecoMOBILITY Program, which was the largest sum given to any of the 14 municipalities that received funding. 

Diane balances her family, work and volunteer commitments with a very active lifestyle that reflects her personal dedication and commitment to fitness and wellbeing, with personal achievements that include competing in the New York City Marathon, the Calgary Police Half Marathon, and the 2005 World Masters Games in Edmonton. Diane has been married to David for nearly 35 years and has one son.

About Libby Davies, MP for Vancouver East

Libby was first elected as Member of Parliament for Vancouver East in 1997. Re-elected in 2000, again in June 2004, 2006, and most recently in 2008, she is the Deputy Leader of the NDP, and has served as NDP House Leader since 2003. Libby is also the federal NDP Spokesperson for Drug Policy Reform and Solicitation Laws.

Her history as a strong community activist for Vancouver East began over 30 years ago. She and her late partner, Bruce Eriksen, were key figures in the formation of the Downtown Eastside Residents' Association (DERA) in 1973. In 10 years of community organizing, Libby developed her strong grassroots approach to working with people and diverse communities.

In 1982 Libby was elected to Vancouver City Council and served 5 consecutive terms. She became involved in every community issue, from protecting community services to developing affordable housing, fighting for parks and working for the elimination of poverty.

From 1994 to 1997 Libby worked with the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU) serving in the role of Ombudsperson for Human Rights, as well as Complaints Investigator, and Coordinator of Human Resources.

Since being elected Member of Parliament, Libby has provided a strong voice for East Vancouver. In the House of Commons she has consistently raised issues of concern to her constituents including community safety, affordable housing, adequate childcare, and post-secondary education. Libby's community office has helped hundreds of residents with federal government matters such as immigration, student loans, employment insurance, taxation, pensions, and Aboriginal affairs.

Libby has been an outspoken advocate for drug policy reforms to stop the criminalization of drug users and the harm caused by Canada's prohibitionist policies.

Libby has received awards from organizations such as the Capital Xtra's Community Achievement Award for Political Activist of the Year, the YMCA Peace Medal Award, the Vancouver and District Labour Council's Syd Thompson Award, and most recently, the Justice Gerald LeDain Award for Achievement in the Field of Law, for her work on drug policy.

Born in 1953 in England, Libby came to Canada in 1968. She moved to Vancouver in 1969 and has one son, Lief Eriksen. She lives with her partner, Kimberly Elliott.