Landon Pearson
Encyclopedia
Landon Carter "Lucy" Pearson, OC
, B.A.
, M.Ed. (born November 16, 1930 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a former Canadian senator
and a children's rights
advocate. She is the daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister
Lester B. Pearson
, through her marriage to his son Geoffrey Pearson
.
Pearson was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1994 by then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
and sat with the Liberal
caucus
. She retired from the Senate on November 16, 2005 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
She was a school trustee in both Canada and India; and has been involved in community-based programs such as Mobile Creches for Working Mothers' Children, a child care service for the children of nomadic construction workers in New Delhi and Bombay.
In 1979, she was Vice-Chairperson of the Canadian Commission for the International Year of the Child
and edited the Commission's report, For Canada's Children: National Agenda for Action. Among her recommendations were
Many of these recommendations have been carried out.
From 1984 to 1990 she was President, then Chairperson of the Canadian Council on Children and Youth. She was a founding member and Chairperson of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children in 1989 until she was appointed to the Senate, September 1994.
She is a director of the Centre for the Study of Children at Risk at McMaster University; a delegate to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, September 1995; a delegate to the First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Stockholm, August 1996; the alternate head of the Canadian delegation to the International Child Labour Conference in Oslo, October 1997; the co-chair of Out From the Shadows: International Summit of Sexually Exploited Youth in Victoria, British Columbia, March 1998; and the co-chair of the Special Joint Committee on Child Custody and Access which drafted the report entitled For the Sake of the Children
, 1998.
In May 1996, Senator Pearson was named Advisor on Children’s Rights to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She provided advice to the Minister, on a regular basis, concerning children's issues in the foreign policy context and on the impact of domestic policies for children on our international commitments, notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In June 1999, she was named Personal Representative of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to the 2002 Special Session on Children of the United Nations General Assembly.
On November 3, 2006, Senator Pearson announced the opening of The Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children's Rights. The Centre’s mandate is to promote activities that address issues relating to children, childhood and communities, to make the resources available to students and faculty at Carleton University, to host events and speakers, and to secure the resources required to promote these activities. The Centre officially opened its doors on June 2, 2006, International Children's Day. In 2010 she retired as Director of the Resource Centre but it continues to run in affiliation with Carleton University in Ottawa. The centre is connected to the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
in the University of Toronto
in 1951 with a B.A. in Philosophy and English and from the University of Ottawa
in 1978 with a M.Ed. in psychopedagogy
. She received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Wilfrid Laurier University
in May 1995, an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Victoria
in November 2001, a Doctor of University (D.U.) from the University of Ottawa in June 2002, and an honorary Doctors of Law from Carleton University
in June 2003 for her work on children's rights.
She has been honoured for her work on behalf of children from the United Way of Ottawa-Carleton, and through receipt of the Canadian Volunteer Award and the Norma V. Bowen Humanitarian Award of the Ontario Psychological Foundation. In 2008, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
, the son of former Prime Minister
Lester B. Pearson
and Maryon Pearson
, until his death on March 18, 2008. Geoffrey and Landon's daughter Patricia Pearson
is a notable Canadian writer.
Senator Pearson and her husband have five children and twelve grandchildren. As the wife of a former Canadian diplomat, she raised their five children in Canada, France, Mexico, India and the Soviet Union.
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...
, B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, M.Ed. (born November 16, 1930 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a former Canadian senator
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
and a children's rights
Children's rights
Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education,...
advocate. She is the daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
, through her marriage to his son Geoffrey Pearson
Geoffrey Pearson
Geoffrey Arthur Holland Pearson, OC was a Canadian diplomat and author. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was the son of former Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson and Maryon Pearson....
.
Pearson was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1994 by then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
and sat with the Liberal
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...
caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
. She retired from the Senate on November 16, 2005 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
As an author
Her book, Children of Glasnost (1990) described growing up in the Soviet Union, and how that changed as Russian society became more open. A second book, Letters from Moscow ',a selection of her personal correspondence while living in Moscow while her husband was the Canadian ambassador to the Soviet Union, was published in 2003. Most recently in 2010, in collaboration with Judy Finlay PhD, Pearson published Tibacimowin: A Gathering of Stories, which gathered and translated oral history stories from members of some Ontario First Nations elders peoples.Child advocate
In 1974 she cofounded Children Learning for Living, a prevention program in children's mental health. It operated for 23 years through the Ottawa Board of Education until 1998.She was a school trustee in both Canada and India; and has been involved in community-based programs such as Mobile Creches for Working Mothers' Children, a child care service for the children of nomadic construction workers in New Delhi and Bombay.
In 1979, she was Vice-Chairperson of the Canadian Commission for the International Year of the Child
International Year of the Child
* Maureen Millicent Bomford founded International Year of The Child and it was endorsed by the United Nations. Maureen was born in Canterbury Punchbowl in 1930 and had four brothers. Her father was a Mayor and she always learned to appreciate the value of leadership. As the wife of a prominent...
and edited the Commission's report, For Canada's Children: National Agenda for Action. Among her recommendations were
- increased financial support for battered women's shelters
- funding for unwed mothers seeking to continue their education
- amendments to the Income Tax Act to allow a greater deduction for child care costs
- laws requiring car seat restraints for infants.
- legislation to return Indian rights to Native women who married non-Indian men.
Many of these recommendations have been carried out.
From 1984 to 1990 she was President, then Chairperson of the Canadian Council on Children and Youth. She was a founding member and Chairperson of the Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children in 1989 until she was appointed to the Senate, September 1994.
She is a director of the Centre for the Study of Children at Risk at McMaster University; a delegate to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, September 1995; a delegate to the First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Stockholm, August 1996; the alternate head of the Canadian delegation to the International Child Labour Conference in Oslo, October 1997; the co-chair of Out From the Shadows: International Summit of Sexually Exploited Youth in Victoria, British Columbia, March 1998; and the co-chair of the Special Joint Committee on Child Custody and Access which drafted the report entitled For the Sake of the Children
For The Sake Of The Children (Report)
For The Sake Of The Children was a report issued in December, 1998, by a Special Joint Committee of The Senate and The House of Commons of Canada, addressing issues relating to parental custody of and access to children after a relationship breakdown...
, 1998.
In May 1996, Senator Pearson was named Advisor on Children’s Rights to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She provided advice to the Minister, on a regular basis, concerning children's issues in the foreign policy context and on the impact of domestic policies for children on our international commitments, notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In June 1999, she was named Personal Representative of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to the 2002 Special Session on Children of the United Nations General Assembly.
On November 3, 2006, Senator Pearson announced the opening of The Landon Pearson Resource Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children's Rights. The Centre’s mandate is to promote activities that address issues relating to children, childhood and communities, to make the resources available to students and faculty at Carleton University, to host events and speakers, and to secure the resources required to promote these activities. The Centre officially opened its doors on June 2, 2006, International Children's Day. In 2010 she retired as Director of the Resource Centre but it continues to run in affiliation with Carleton University in Ottawa. The centre is connected to the Child Rights Information Network (CRIN)
Education and awards
Senator Pearson graduated from Trinity CollegeUniversity of Trinity College
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of...
in the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1951 with a B.A. in Philosophy and English and from the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
in 1978 with a M.Ed. in psychopedagogy
Psychopedagogy
Psychopedagogy is a combination of two main branches of study, Pedagogy and Psychology.Some of the most influential authors in this field are Jean Piaget, Ausubel, Jerome Bruner and Lev Vygotsky. Important contributions have also been made by Mary Warnock in the field of special education and...
. She received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
in May 1995, an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
in November 2001, a Doctor of University (D.U.) from the University of Ottawa in June 2002, and an honorary Doctors of Law from Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
in June 2003 for her work on children's rights.
She has been honoured for her work on behalf of children from the United Way of Ottawa-Carleton, and through receipt of the Canadian Volunteer Award and the Norma V. Bowen Humanitarian Award of the Ontario Psychological Foundation. In 2008, she was made an Officer 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...
.
Family
She was married to Canadian diplomat Geoffrey PearsonGeoffrey Pearson
Geoffrey Arthur Holland Pearson, OC was a Canadian diplomat and author. Born in Toronto, Ontario, he was the son of former Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson and Maryon Pearson....
, the son of former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
and Maryon Pearson
Maryon Pearson
Maryon Elspeth Pearson, née Moody was the wife of Lester Bowles Pearson, the 14th Prime Minister of Canada.Maryon and Lester Pearson married on August 22, 1925. They met at the University of Toronto, where he was a teacher and she was a student.Maryon Pearson was also known for her sharp tongued wit...
, until his death on March 18, 2008. Geoffrey and Landon's daughter Patricia Pearson
Patricia Pearson
Patricia Pearson is a Canadian writer and journalist. She's published three non-fiction books and two novels.-Life and work:...
is a notable Canadian writer.
Senator Pearson and her husband have five children and twelve grandchildren. As the wife of a former Canadian diplomat, she raised their five children in Canada, France, Mexico, India and the Soviet Union.
External links
- Order of Canada citation
- Landon Pearson Centre for the Study of Childhood and Children's Rights
- North‐South Partnership for Children
- PeaceWomen Across the Globe bio - collective nomination to Nobel Peace Prize