Patrice James

Film maker

Executive director of the Independent Film-makers Co-operative of Ottawa.

Widely known and respected in the city’s arts community.

Her film projects include the documentary "Black in Ottawa” (co-produced with Orpheus Morgan). This thought-provoking documentary is the first to explore the struggles, triumphs and interactions of Ottawa's various black communities while also examining the relationships between these groups and 'mainstream society'.

Nominated for the Tolgesy Award in 2012, Ottawa’s top annual arts prize.

www.blackhistoryottawa.org

www.ottawacitizen.ca 

Loris Jordan

Dedicated volunteer for drop-in and street outreach service

“I think I get more out of this than I give.” – Loris Jordan

Born in Victoria in 1927.

Has a long history of social activism.

Studied nursing in Vancouver and began to travel the world, whereupon she met her future husband, Tedd, a mining engineer, in South Africa; was a psychiatric nurse for about 25 years, a peacenik and Raging Granny.

For the last 15 years, spends her days making and delivering sandwiches to street people in downtown Ottawa, also handing out socks, juice boxes, cookies and hugs.

At 84 years of age, she begins her days at 9 am at the offices of Ottawa Innercity Ministries, a Christian organization that pools the volunteer labour and resources of some 74 churches into a drop-in and street outreach service.

www.ottawacitizen.com

Michaëlle Jean

Chancellor of the University of Ottawa (as of February 2012)

Born in Haiti; came to Canada in 1968.

Studied comparative literature at the Université de Montréal; taught modern languages at the Université; worked in shelters for female victims of domestic violence and helped establish a network of emergency shelters in Quebec and across Canada.

Television journalist, past anchor and host of news programs on CBC Newsworld and Radio-Canada.

Former Governor General of Canada, from 2005 to 2010; first black woman to be named governor general.

UNESCO special envoy for Haiti.

Named chancellor of the University of Ottawa, replacing Huguette Labelle who has been chancellor of the university for 17 years.

www.ottawacitizen.com

Linda Jackson

Olympian, cyclist

Born in 1958 in Nepean (Ottawa), Ontario.

Known as one of the Canada's best female cyclists - 1996 Olympian, third in 1996 World Championships, third in 1997 women's Tour de France and captured a silver medal in the 1994 and 1998 Commonwealth Games.

At age 40, Jackson entered the HP LaserJet Women’s Challenge in 1999; one of the oldest participants in the 150-person field and one of the favorites.

Inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.


www.bike-zone.com
www.canadian-cycling.com

Elaine Jolly

Gynecologist, recognized Canadian authority in women's health issues

Dedicated advocate of women's health.

Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ottawa.

Developed the first Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Treatment Program in Ottawa.

Developed the first clinical service in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Introduced Contraception and Family Planning Services at the Ottawa General Hospital.

Developed the first Mature Women's Health Initiative in Ontario in 1986 and made available essential comprehensive services to menopausal women.

Invested as an Officer in the Order of Canada in recognition of her achievements in women's health in 1999.

Founded the Ottawa Women's Health Council in 2001.

First Medical Director of the Shirley E. Greenberg Women's Health Centre of the Ottawa Hospital.

www.ottawahospital.on.ca

Pauline Jewett

Politician, academic

Born in St.Catharines, Ontario in 1922; died in 1992.

First Canadian woman to serve as president of a major university in Canada (Simon Fraser U).

One of the first two women to receive a faculty appointment at Carleton University in Ottawa, progressing to full professor by 1966.

Taught at Carleton University in political science and served as Director of the Institute of Canadian Studies.

First female doctoral student in political science from Harvard University.

Elected as a Member of Parliament in 1963.

Her proposals for peace, equality, and justice were an important influence on the Canadian political scene in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1974, she moved to British Columbia as president of Simon Fraser University. She was the first woman president of a major Canadian co-educational university.

Throughout her life, was committed to many social justice causes and was a strong and vocal advocate of equality for women.

In 1991, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

She was Chancellor of Carleton University from 1990 until her death in 1992. The Women's Studies Institute at Carleton University was renamed in her honour - The Pauline Jewett Institute of Women's and Gender Studies.

www.carleton.ca