Margaret Joan Chalmers, (born 30 May 1928 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

) is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 philanthropist

Philanthropist

A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

 and supporter of the arts.

In 1972, she and her parents, Floyd

Floyd Chalmers

Floyd Sherman Chalmers, was a Canadian editor, publisher and philanthropist.Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Canadian parents he was raised in Orillia, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario....

 and Jean Chalmers, founded the annual Chalmers Awards, which donates $25,000 CAD

Canadian dollar

The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

 to artists in dance, theatre, crafts, film, the visual arts and music.

She was involved with the traveling exhibit, Survivors in Search of a Voice: The Art of Courage, which as a collaboration among 24 prominent Canadian women artists and over 100 breast cancer

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...

  survivors.

While celebrating her 70th birthday in 1998, she announced that she would provide 20 arts groups with a total of $1 million in funding.

Chalmers is the partner of former singer-songwriter Barbra Amesbury.

Honours

• In 1985 Ms Chalmers received the Diplôme d'Honneur from the Canadian COnference of the Arts
• In 1987 she was made a Member of the Order of Canada
  Order of Canada
  The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
  
  .
• In 1987 she was awarded a Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa from NSCAD University.
• In 1992 she was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada.
• In 1994 she was awarded the Order of Ontario
  Order of Ontario
  The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
  
  .
• In 1994 she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Waterloo
  University of Waterloo
  The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
  
  .
• In 1997 she was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada.
• In 2001 she received the Governor General's Award for Visual and Media Arts in the Outstanding Contribution category.