Christel HaeckFirst name spelled as Christel, Cristel or Crystal in media sources. (born March 9, 1948) is a former

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. She was a

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

member of the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

from 1990 to 1995 who represented the riding of St. Catharines—Brock.

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. Founded in 1964, the university is known for its Oxbridge college system, sma ...

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

and the SUNY Buffalo School of Information and Library Science. She worked as a

library assistant A library technician is a library and information professional in charge of the day-to-day functions of a library and assisting libraries in the acquisition, preparation, and organization of information. They also assist patrons in finding informati ...

at the Fort Erie Public Library in

Fort Erie, Ontario Fort Erie is a town in the Regional Municipality of Niagara, Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. The town is located at the south eastern corner of the region, on the Niagara River, directly across the Canada–United States border from Buffal ...

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 College of Applied Arts and Technology partnered with the private Toronto School of Management withi ...

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 in southern Ontario, Canada, which occupies most of the Niagara Peninsula. As of 2024, the region had an estimate ...

Provincial politics

She ran for the Ontario legislature in the 1987 provincial election, but finished third against Liberal Mike Dietsch in the riding of St. Catharines—Brock. 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 British politics and some Commonwealth nations, a parliamentary assistant is an unelected partisan staff member employed by a Member of Parliament (MP) to assist them with their parliamentary duties. Parliamentary assistants usually work ...

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 group or 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 ...

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 wh ...

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. Backg ...

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 corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

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 Niagara College alumni 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario 20th-century Canadian women politicians