| Cathy Crowe, RN, M.Ed., D.Litt. | |
|---|---|
Cathy Crowe in Toronto c. 2007 |
|
| Born | Kingston, Ontario |
| Residence | Toronto, Ontario |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Education | BAA, M.Ed, D.Litt. (honoris causa) |
| Alma mater | Ontario Institute for Studies in Education |
| Occupation | Nurse/Educator |
| Years active | over 25 years |
| Known for | Community Work/Anti-Poverty Activist |
| Political party | Ontario New Democratic Party (ONDP) |
| Awards | Economic Justice Award, the Atkinson Charitable Foundation |
Cathy Crowe, RN (born 1952) is a Canadian nurse, educator and social activist, specializing in advocacy for the homeless in Canada. She was the Ontario New Democratic Party's candidate in the 2010 provincial by-election (where she placed 2nd losing to Liberal Glen Murray) and in the 2011 provincial election in Toronto Centre.
Contents |
Raised in Kingston, Ontario, she went to Toronto to work and study at the Toronto General Hospital, where she received a diploma in nursing, in 1972.[1] In 1985, she received a Bachelor of Applied Arts in nursing, from Ryerson Polytechnic Institute.[1] In 1992, she received her Master of Education in sociology, from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).[1] She twice was bestowed with honorary degrees. Her first one was from the University of Victoria, which granted her a Doctor of Science in Nursing (honoris causa), in 2001.[2] Her second degree is a Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) from McMaster University, bestowed on her in June 2005.[3]
She was previously married to former Metro Toronto Councillor Roger Hollander.[4]
She came to public prominence as a "street nurse", a term coined in the early 1990s by a homeless man in the low-economic downtown Toronto area where she worked.[5] She is noted for her work with the homeless and poor populations in Canada's largest city, Toronto.[5] She is an activist for housing, public health and social justice. In 1998, along with other social justice activists and academics, she co-founded the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC).[5] By bringing public attention to the plight of the homeless, which in their view, needs the kind of response that governments give to natural disasters. This human-disaster was the basis for the name of the group and many of its ideas.[5] The TDRC and Crowe promoted the idea of a "One Percent Solution" to end homelessness. The one percent solution calls for each level of government to commit an additional one percent of their budget towards affordable, social housing.[5]
In January 2010, Crowe entered electoral politics, by offering to run for the Ontario New Democratic Party, as their candidate in the February 4, 2010 by-election in the provincial riding of Toronto Centre.[6] At the ONDP's January 10, 2010 nomination meeting, her candidacy went uncontested. She faced Ontario Liberal Party's candidate, Glen Murray, and Pamela Taylor for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party.[7][8] Crowe finished a strong second, doubling the NDP's vote totals by taking 33 percent of the popular vote.[9]
Crowe's book, Dying for a Home: Homeless Activists Speak Out, is a first-hand account of Canadian homelessness, and the practical steps needed to address the problem. Drawing from 17 years of experience, Crowe's book brings together the voices of ten homeless activists advocating for change. In so doing, they clear "homelessness" of its negative stereotypes and endow the word with alternate qualities, such as bravery, courage, charisma, and intelligence. Dying for a Home gives details on how to implement the TDRC's one percent solution.
Besides the aforementioned honorary degrees, she received an International Nursing Ethics Award in 2003.[1] Most recently, she received the Economic Justice Award, from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, in 2004.[5]