Christel Haeck
[First name spelled as Christel, Cristel or Crystal in media sources.] (born March 9, 1948) is a former
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
in
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada. She was a
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
member of the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...
from 1990 to 1995 who represented the riding of
St. Catharines—Brock
St. Catharines—Brock was a provincial electoral division in Ontario, Canada containing the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake as well as the southern portion of the city of St. Catharines. It was created prior to the 1975 provincial election, and w ...
.
Background
Haeck was educated at
Trent University
Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes. in
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
and the
SUNY Buffalo School of Information and Library Science. She worked as a
library assistant A library technician or library assistant is a skilled library and information paraprofessional trained to perform the day-to-day functions of a library, and assists librarians in the acquisition, preparation, and organization of information. They a ...
at the Fort Erie Public Library in
Fort Erie, Ontario
Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812.
Fort Erie is one of N ...
from 1974 to 1977, and then took up a position as a librarian for St. Catharines Public Library. She was later appointed Head of Special Collections for the St. Catharines Public Library, leaving that position in January 1990 after her marriage to Dennis Gannon of Arlington, VA. Haeck graduated from the
Niagara College
The Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology (frequently shortened to Niagara College and branded as Niagara College Canada) is a public List of Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology, College of Applied Arts and Technology with ...
program, Library Computer Network Operator in June 1996. She is a member of the Ontario Library Association.
She has served on several community and regional boards including the Labour Advisory Committee for
Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology, Heritage Niagara, and the Ecological and Environmental Advisory Committee of the
Regional Municipality of Niagara
The Regional Municipality of Niagara, also colloquially known as the Niagara Region or Region of Niagara, is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada. The regional seat is in Thorold. It is the southern ...
.
Provincial politics
She ran for the Ontario legislature in the
1987 provincial election, but finished third against
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
Mike Dietsch in the riding of
St. Catharines—Brock
St. Catharines—Brock was a provincial electoral division in Ontario, Canada containing the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake as well as the southern portion of the city of St. Catharines. It was created prior to the 1975 provincial election, and w ...
. She ran a second time in the
1990 provincial election and defeated Dietsch by 1,159 votes, The NDP formed a majority government and Haeck was appointed as a
parliamentary assistant
In UK politics, a parliamentary assistant is an unelected partisan member of staff employed by a Member of Parliament (MP) to assist them with their parliamentary duties. Parliamentary assistants usually work at the House of Commons in the U ...
to the
Minister of Colleges and Universities from October 1990 to August 1991. She also served as a member of the
caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement. The exact definition varies between different countries and political cultures.
The term originated in the United States, where it can refer to a meeting ...
executive. Haeck chaired the ''Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills'' for two years.
In 1991, Haeck introduced a
private member's bill
A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in whi ...
called the ''Public Sector Food Services Act''. It called for schools, hospitals and other provincial institutions to buy only Ontario grown produce. She said the bill "would require public service facilities in which prepared foods are provided to use only food grown or wholly manufactured in Ontario." Critics said the proposed bill was against federal efforts to reduce provincial trade barriers. The bill made it to second reading.
The NDP were defeated in the
1995 provincial election, and Haeck finished third against
Progressive Conservative Tom Froese
Tom Froese (born November 29, 1952) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999 who represented the riding of St. Catharines—Brock.
Backgr ...
in her bid for re-election.
When
Bob Rae
Robert Keith Rae (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician who is the current Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2020. He previously served as the 21st premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, leader of the ...
stepped down as party leader she supported
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton (born May 17, 1952) is a politician who was a member of Provincial Parliament for the province of Ontario. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, from 1987 to 1999 in the electoral district of Rainy Ri ...
for leader of the party.
Regional politics
Haeck participated in municipal electoral politics in 1997, coming a close third. A recount was initiated by Haeck where a judicial recount established her standing.
In 2000, Haeck campaigned to be a part of the six-member St. Catharines delegation to the Niagara Regional Council and finished seventh. She was appointed to the council in 2002, following the death of former
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Roy Adams.
She ran again in the 2003 municipal election, but finished tenth.
She has been awarded a lifetime membership in the NDP.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haeck, Christel
1948 births
German emigrants to Canada
Living people
Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs
Trent University alumni
University at Buffalo alumni
Women MPPs in Ontario