Sheila-Marie Suzanne Cook (5 February 1938 - 10 December 2020) was a senior

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

. She served as

Secretary to the Governor General of Canada The Secretary to the Governor General () is the administrative head of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG)—the government department that supports the work of the Governor General of Canada—and is based at Rideau Hall in ...

and Herald Chancellor of Canada from September 18, 2006 until January 31, 2011. In February 2007, she received her commission as

Deputy of the Governor General of Canada A Deputy of the Governor General (french: Gouverneur général suppléant) is, per the ''Constitution Act, 1867'', one of any individuals appointed by the Governor General of Canada, with the Canadian monarch's consent, to act in his or her stead, e ...

. Originally from

Granby, Quebec Granby is a town in southwestern Quebec, located east of Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 69,025. Granby is the seat of La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality. It is the second most populated city in Estrie after ...

, she was a long-time resident of

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,30 ...

. In 2002, she was awarded a

Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'or de la Reine Elizabeth II) or the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

, which recognized Canadians who have helped shape Canada. During the 2010 Royal Tour of Canada, Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

presented Cook with the insignia of Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

Career

Cook received her undergraduate degree in History at

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...

. Early in her career, she served as legislative assistant to the late Prime Minister

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada The prime mini ...

. Then-Mayor

Ralph Klein Ralph Philip Klein (November 1, 1942 – March 29, 2013) was a Canadian politician and journalist who served as the 12th premier of Alberta and leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta from 1992 until his retirement in 20 ...

appointed her as the City of Calgary's Chief of Protocol for the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts� ...

. Cook had extensive experience working in the federal public service and in para-public organizations, most specifically in strategic planning and management of Royal commissions, inquiries and public policy reviews. From 1994 - 1995, she served as Executive Director of the public inquiry into the Fraser River Salmon Crisis, and of the Minister's Monitoring Committee on Change in the Department of National Defense and Canadian Forces. She has been the director of Administration and Finance for the Royal Commission on Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada; the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing; the National Transportation Act Review Commission; the Commission of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston, and the Citizens' Forum on Canada's Future. She was the senior advisor to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples; the Public Review Panel on Tanker Safety and Marine Spills Capability; the Commission to Review Allowances of Members of Parliament; the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council. Cook was also the executive director and commission secretary for the commissions of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India and the Sponsorship Program.

Coat of Arms

Mrs. Cook was granted

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

by the

Canadian Heraldic Authority The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA; french: Autorité héraldique du Canada) is part of the Canadian honours system under the Canadian monarch, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The authority is responsible for th ...

on November 15, 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, Sheila-Marie 1938 births 2020 deaths Canadian civil servants Canadian women civil servants Carleton University alumni Canadian Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order