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Cathy Crowe

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Cathy Crowe, RN, M.Ed., D.Litt.
Cathy Crowe in Toronto c. 2007
Born1952
Kingston, Ontario
CitizenshipCanadian
EducationBAA, M.Ed, D.Litt. (honoris causa)
Alma materOntario Institute for Studies in Education
OccupationNurse/Educator
Years activeover 25 years
Known forCommunity Work/Anti-Poverty Activist
Political partyOntario New Democratic Party (ONDP)
AwardsEconomic 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.

Early life and education

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 married twice; with her last one, to former Metro Toronto Councillor Roger Hollander, ending in divorce in 1995.[4]

Community work

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]

Electoral politics

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]

Dying for a Home

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.

Awards

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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Cathy Crowe". Nursing in Ontario Profiles. Ontario Nursing Connection. c. 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  2. ^ Shore, Valerie (2001-04-06). "UVIC to Award Eight Honorary Degrees at June Convocation". Victoria, British Columbia: UVic Communications Services. p. 1. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  3. ^ Media Release (2005-04-08). "McMaster announces honorary degree recipients for spring convocation". Hamilton, Ontario: McMaster University. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  4. ^ Hayes, David (2009-01-24). "Street nurse fights so we can all have homes". The Toronto Star.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Simmie, Scott (2004-01-22). "Street nurse earns prestigious honour". Toronto Star. Toronto: Torstar. pp. A1, A17. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ The Canadian Press (2010-01-06). "McGuinty calls Toronto Centre byelection". CBC.ca. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  7. ^ Benzie, Robert (2010-01-07). "Murray front and centre". Toronto Star. Toronto: Torstar. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  8. ^ The Canadian Press (2010-01-10). "Crowe to run for NDP in Toronto Centre". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: CTVglobemedia. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
  9. ^ Ferguson, Rob; Robert Benzie (2010-02-05). "Murray hangs on to Toronto Centre for Liberals". Toronto Star. Toronto: Torstar. Retrieved 2010-02-05.

Bibliography

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