Judy Erola
Encyclopedia
Judith Erola, née Jacobson, PC
(born January 16, 1934 in Sudbury, Ontario
) is a former Canadian
politician, who represented the riding
of Nickel Belt
in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1980 to 1984. She was a member of the Liberal Party
.
, she made history as the first woman employed by a Canadian television station as a weather reporter, and also presented segments on fashion
. She later became an account executive for CHNO
, and married Vic Erola, the owner of a marina
on Lake Panache
.
as the Liberal candidate in Nickel Belt, losing to incumbent New Democrat
John Rodriguez
.
Erola defeated Rodriguez in the 1980 election
, however, and was named to Pierre Trudeau
's final cabinet
, holding the positions of Minister of State for Mines, Minister of State for Social Development, Minister responsible for the Status of Women
and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. She was also the first woman ever appointed to the cabinet's priorities and planning committee, which debates and decides on the direction of government policy.
After Trudeau's retirement, Erola continued to serve in the cabinet of John Turner
. However, in the 1984 election
, which saw the governing Liberals reduced to just 40 seats, Erola was defeated, again by Rodriguez.
.
She is currently on the board of Equal Voice
, an organization which seeks to assist Canadian women in running for political office.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(born January 16, 1934 in Sudbury, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a former 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...
politician, who represented the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt is one of two federal electoral districts serving the Greater City of Sudbury.Nickel Belt has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.It consists of:...
in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 1980 to 1984. She was a member of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
.
Broadcasting career
Prior to her career in politics, she worked as a radio and television broadcaster in Sudbury. At CKSO-TVCICI-TV
CICI-TV is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Sudbury, Ontario. It is an owned-and-operated station of the CTV Television Network, and is the flagship station of that network's system in northern Ontario, CTV Northern Ontario....
, she made history as the first woman employed by a Canadian television station as a weather reporter, and also presented segments on fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
. She later became an account executive for CHNO
CHNO-FM
CHNO-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 103.9 on the FM dial in Sudbury, Ontario. Airing a classic hits format, the station is branded as Rewind 103.9.-History of CHNO:The station began broadcasting on June 24, 1947 on AM 1440...
, and married Vic Erola, the owner of a marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
on Lake Panache
Lake Panache
Lake Panache is a lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Sudbury District, although a small portion of the lake lies within the southernmost city limits of Greater Sudbury, approximately 10 kilometres south of the community of Whitefish.The lake's westernmost point lies...
.
Politics
Following the death of her husband Vic in 1977, Erola decided to pursue a career in politics. She ran in the 1979 electionCanadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
as the Liberal candidate in Nickel Belt, losing to incumbent New Democrat
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
John Rodriguez
John Rodriguez
John R. Rodriguez is a Canadian politician. He served as the mayor of Greater Sudbury, Ontario from 2006 to 2010, and previously represented the electoral district of Nickel Belt in the Canadian House of Commons from 1972 to 1980 and from 1984 to 1993 as a member of the New Democratic...
.
Erola defeated Rodriguez in the 1980 election
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
, however, and was named to Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
's final cabinet
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
, holding the positions of Minister of State for Mines, Minister of State for Social Development, Minister responsible for the Status of Women
Minister responsible for the Status of Women (Canada)
The position of Minister responsible for the Status of Women in the Canadian cabinet was created in 1971 as a product of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women . Most provincial cabinets have a similar position...
and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. She was also the first woman ever appointed to the cabinet's priorities and planning committee, which debates and decides on the direction of government policy.
After Trudeau's retirement, Erola continued to serve in the cabinet of John Turner
John Turner
John Napier Wyndham Turner, PC, CC, QC is an English Canadian lawyer and retired politician, who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada from June 30 to September 17, 1984....
. However, in the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, which saw the governing Liberals reduced to just 40 seats, Erola was defeated, again by Rodriguez.
Post-political career
In 1987, Erola became president of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association of Canada, a position she held until her retirement in 1998. She was an ex officio delegate to the Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, 2006, where she supported Stéphane DionStéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
.
She is currently on the board of Equal Voice
Equal Voice
Founded in 2001 by Rosemary Speirs and Donna Dasko Equal Voice: Electing More Women in Canada is a multi-partisan, non-governmental, non-profit organization that promotes the election of more women in Canadian politics...
, an organization which seeks to assist Canadian women in running for political office.