Margaret Joan Chalmers, (May 30, 1928 – December 2, 2016) was a

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philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

and supporter of the arts. Born in

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, she and her parents, Floyd and Jean Chalmers, founded the annual Chalmers Awards in 1972, which donates $25,000

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to artists in dance, theatre, crafts, film, the visual arts and music. She was involved with the travelling 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 is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

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 was the partner of former singer-songwriter Barbra Amesbury. She died on December 2, 2016 in Toronto, from injuries suffered in a fall.

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 The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. * 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 1993 she received the Ramon John Hnatyshyn (RJH) Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts. * In 1994 she was awarded the

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 adm ...

. * In 1994 she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Waterloo. * 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.

References

1928 births 2016 deaths Canadian women philanthropists Canadian philanthropists Companions of the Order of Canada Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts winners 20th-century Canadian LGBT people Members of the Order of Ontario People from Toronto 20th-century Canadian philanthropists 20th-century women philanthropists Governor General's Award winners {{Philanthropist-stub